$2 million lottery winner, but she couldn’t celebrate: US woman discovers jackpot during lunch break, then goes back to work

Winning a $2 million lottery jackpot during a lunch break might sound like the perfect excuse to walk away from work for the day. But one Virginia woman did the opposite. The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, bought a $20 Platinum 7s scratch-off ticket during her lunch break after having what she described as a stressful day. She scratched the ticket at the store and discovered that she had won the game's top prize.

But there was one immediate problem, her lunch break was almost over.

According to People, the woman decided to put the winning ticket away, return to work and carry on with her shift as normal.


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“I had to go back to work and act like nothing happened,” she told Virginia Lottery officials.

Woman buys $20 lottery ticket during stressful lunch break

The woman, from Portsmouth, Virginia, stopped at Love Food Mart in Norfolk during her lunch break and bought the Platinum 7s scratch-off.

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The ticket costs $20 and carries a top prize of $2 million. The Virginia Lottery says the top prize can either be paid in annual instalments over 30 years or taken as a one-time cash payment of $952,000 before taxes.

After scratching the ticket inside the shop, the woman realised she had matched the game's top prize.

Instead of celebrating immediately, however, she had to return to her workplace.

She won $2 million but still went back to work

The unusual part of the story was not just the size of the prize, but what the woman did immediately afterwards.

Rather than telling colleagues or leaving her workplace, she reportedly kept the winning ticket safe and went back to finish her shift.

Her own description to lottery officials summed up the moment: she had to return to work and behave as though nothing had happened.

The story was later reported by People, drawing attention online because of the sheer contrast between winning a multi-million-dollar lottery prize and simply going back to work.

Why did she take $952,000 instead of $2 million?

When she came forward to claim the prize, the winner had to choose between two payment options.

She could have received the advertised $2 million through annual payments spread across 30 years. Alternatively, she could take the immediate cash value of $952,000 before taxes.

She chose the lump-sum option. The Virginia Lottery's official details confirm that the Platinum 7s top prize is $2 million, with a cash value of $952,000.

Virginia lottery winner chooses to remain anonymous

The woman has not been publicly identified. People reported that she was able to keep her identity private under Virginia's updated lottery privacy rules. The Virginia Lottery says winners can claim prizes anonymously, meaning the agency will not publicly release the winner's name, hometown or prize amount without written permission.

The anonymity means little is known publicly about what the winner plans to do with the money.

And one question remains unanswered: did she eventually quit her job after winning $2 million? For now, there is no indication that she has handed in her resignation.


Disclaimer: This article is based on information reported by media outlets. Details about the winner’s future plans or employment status may not have been publicly confirmed. Lottery rules, prize amounts, taxes and payout options may vary, and readers are advised to verify such details with the relevant official authority.