Connecticut man scoops $5.8 million lottery jackpot but he never sees a dime – AOL

For most people, winning a multi-million pound lottery jackpot is the ultimate fantasy. But for one unfortunate man, a cruel twist of fate meant he never saw a single penny of his winnings.

Clarence Jackson, from Connecticut, purchased a Quick Pick lottery ticket on October 13, 1995. One of his number combinations matched the winning six-number jackpot, which should have netted him a staggering $5.8million (£4.25m) windfall.

However, that’s not how events unfolded. At the time, Clarence was working tirelessly as a cleaner while simultaneously caring for his ailing father. Meanwhile, a $167.3m Powerball winner spent his first months as a millionaire in jail after his arrest on vacation.

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He remained oblivious to his winning ticket until October 13, 1996 – the final day of the Connecticut lottery’s 365-day window to claim a prize.

As fate would have it, that day fell on a Sunday. Clarence assumed he would need to present the ticket at the state’s lottery headquarters, which he believed would be closed over the weekend, reports the Mirror.

He was unaware that he could have simply returned to the store where he originally bought the ticket to collect his winnings.

To make matters worse, the following day was Columbus Day, a state holiday in Connecticut, meaning it wasn’t until October 15 that he finally submitted his winning ticket – only to be devastatingly informed that it was too late to claim the prize.

Clarence then took the course of action that any wronged individual might consider – he attempted to sue the lottery. His legal team filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut Lottery Corporation in October 1996 after he was refused what he believed were his rightful winnings.

Clarence outlined the exceptional circumstances that prevented him from realizing he possessed a $5.8m ticket.

His father had been hospitalized with emphysema and the young man had been caring for his father for most of the period between purchasing the ticket and the deadline passing.

He said: “He was in the hospital for most of that year and he came home a week before the expiration date.”

Despite his legal team’s best efforts, a court ruled in favor of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation. It successfully contended that Jackson violated the contract’s terms which stipulated that winners have one full calendar year to claim their winnings.

After losing out on a life-altering sum of money, Clarence managed to find the silver lining in his painful near miss.

Speaking to Good Morning America back in 2016, he claimed he would be “dead or broke” if he had received such a large amount of money as a young man.

He said: “Back then, I must say, I would have been too young, and I would have blown all the money.

“I was living a different lifestyle. I was trying to get into the music business back then, and I knew I’d be dead or broke now.”