In an astonishing turn of events, a couple from Bowling Green, Kentucky, experienced the highs and lows of fortune when they misplaced a winning Powerball ticket, only to fortuitously find it months later. The ticket, which proved to be worth $50,000, had been purchased by Mark Perdue for the October 30, 2023, drawing at the local AM Express store, a place he routinely frequents.
Perdue, the president of the manufacturing plant KIRIU USA, recounts the peculiar circumstances that led to the discovery of their lucky but temporarily lost ticket. Approximately one week after the draw, during a casual visit to the store for a Diet Mountain Dew, the owner of AM Express surprised him with congratulations. A puzzled Perdue was informed that he had won the lottery. “I said, ‘I wish.’ She said, ‘you did, I have you on video.’” However, the elation was short-lived as the ticket was nowhere to be found.
The predicament continued for the next three months, during which Perdue’s wife was concerned she might have discarded the ticket, mistaking it for an outdated one. Despite the probability that their win had slipped through their fingers, they held onto a thread of hope. It wasn’t until February that fortune smiled upon them once more. Perdue, inspecting a company car with a visitor from another plant, spotted the missing ticket in the vehicle. It had seemingly fallen out of his pocket on a previous occasion.
With overwhelming relief, he captured a photograph of the ticket and immediately sent it to his wife. Her response encapsulated the emotional journey the couple had endured, “I was relieved.” Now in possession of the elusive ticket, they proceeded to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters the following day, where the couple secured a check for $36,000 after taxes.
The Perdues intend to leverage their unexpected windfall to pay off debts and treat themselves to a well-deserved vacation. The retailer, AM Express, was also rewarded for their role in this unlikely story, receiving a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
This heartwarming account comes as the Powerball jackpot remains elusive since January and has currently surged to an estimated $485 million, with the next draw set for Wednesday, March 6. Lottery enthusiasts keen to try their luck will need to visit physical locations such as convenience stores, gas stations, or grocery stores to purchase their tickets.
Additionally, there is the convenient option of using Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, available in select U.S. states and territories. Jackpocket provides a user-friendly platform for purchasing tickets, picking numbers, and even collecting winnings, all from the comfort of one’s phone or home computer. With the Powerball jackpot reaching epic proportions, the next draw is sure to attract a significant number of hopeful participants, each dreaming of a victory as serendipitous as that of the Perdues from Kentucky.
