Illinois Woman Finds $1 Million in Her Purse — And Gets to Keep It. Here's Why. A woman scanned a forgotten lottery ticket in her bag and got the surprise of her life.

By David James

Got a lot of clutter? Here's a good reason to Marie Kondo your life — and purse.

Last month, a woman made a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy a Lucky Day Lotto ticket while shopping for groceries in Elmhurst, Illinois. She bought the ticket, stuck it in her purse, and promptly forgot it existed, per CNN.

On October 20, the winning numbers were revealed: 2-3-24-25-28. The woman (who has chosen to remain anonymous) had those numbers but didn't know it.

Related: A New Yorker Won a $10 Million Lottery Jackpot — Twice. A Neighbor Said His Incredible Luck Didn't Change Him.

"A couple days after the drawing, I saw the ticket in my purse and opened my lottery app to scan my ticket and check if it was a winner. I immediately saw $1,000,000 on the screen and I was in total shock," she told lottery officials. "I scanned the ticket one more time to double-check, and when it showed "$1,000,000" again, I instantly started crying."

She said she plans to travel with her winnings.

Inspired to take a trip to Illinois to try your luck? According to Lottery USA, the odds of winning the jackpot for Lucky Day Lotto are 1 in 1.22 million. But it is a daily game, so you have plenty of chances. Bring an extra large purse.

David James

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff writer

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg 'Insisted' Executives Join Him For a MMA Training Session, According to Meta's Ex-President of Global Affairs

Nick Clegg, Meta's former president of global affairs, says in a new book that he once had to get on the mat with a coworker.

Business News

AI Could Cause 99% of All Workers to Be Unemployed in the Next Five Years, Says Computer Science Professor

Professor Roman Yampolskiy predicted that artificial general intelligence would be developed and used by 2030, leading to mass automation.

Business News

You Can Get Paid $18,000 More a Year By Adding AI Skills to Your Resume, According to a New Study

Employers are emphasizing AI skills — and are willing to pay a lot more if you have them.

Buying / Investing in Business

Big Investors Are Betting on This 'Unlisted' Stock

You can join them as an early-stage investor as this company disrupts a $1.3T market.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.