CA Man Wins $20 Million From Scratcher Ticket; Largest In History

CALIFORNIA — What began as a routine shopping trip for California resident Chad Fry ended with a drive home that he says he will never forget. Fry made history by winning the largest scratcher ticket prize the California lottery has ever paid out — $20 million, officials said.

Fry, a Placer County resident, was shopping for a pair of new shorts when he stopped to "buy some beer and a lottery ticket" at Foothill Market in Auburn, where he would pick up the life-altering "Set For Life Millionaire Edition" ticket, the California Lottery aid in a release.

"I'm sure it will hit me that I'm a million [now that I've seen] all those zeroes," he said.

The ticket, which has a $30 price tag, was a splurge for Fry, who said he had just been paid for a side construction job.

"I had been waiting months for these people to pay me! So I had a little extra money. When I was at the counter, it grabbed my eye, so I said, ‘give me that thirty-dollar ticket,’ and that was it!" he said.

Originally, Fry said he planned to scratch the ticket once he got home, but when he stopped at a grocery store, he felt he couldn't wait any longer.

"I was like, hold on, let me scratch this thing really quick. I scratched the first line, got halfway through the second (line) and saw (the word) ‘LIFE!’” That’s the word players need to uncover to win one of the six record-prize tickets that are in circulation!" he said.

The millionaire edition ticket gives winners two payment options: an annual payment of $800,000, before federal taxes, for 25 years — or they can get a lump sum payment of $11.6 million, also before federal taxes.

Fry selected the lump sum and plans to buy a new F250 truck, he told the lottery system.