A man from Yerevan, Armenia, had the luckiest and unluckiest day of his life when he won the lottery twice and lost both tickets.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he bought two lottery tickets from a kiosk near his home on Monday. He said he checked the results online and was stunned to see that he had matched all six numbers on both tickets, winning a total of 20 million drams (about $50,000).
“I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought it was a mistake or a prank. I checked the numbers again and again and they were the same. I was so happy and excited. I thought I was dreaming,” the man said.
The man said he wanted to share the news with his wife and children, who were at work and school. He said he put the tickets in his wallet and took a taxi to his wife’s office.
“I wanted to surprise her and tell her that we were rich. I wanted to hug her and kiss her and celebrate with her. I was so impatient and eager to see her,” the man said.
However, when he arrived at his wife’s office, he realized that his wallet was missing. He said he panicked and searched his pockets and the taxi, but couldn’t find it.
“I was so scared and angry. I couldn’t believe that I had lost my wallet with the tickets inside. I tried to remember where I could have dropped it or left it, but I had no idea. I felt like crying,” the man said.
The man said he called the taxi company and the kiosk where he bought the tickets, but they said they hadn’t seen his wallet or his tickets. He said he also reported the loss to the police and the lottery company, but they said they couldn’t help him without proof of purchase or identification.
“I was so desperate and hopeless. I had won the lottery twice and lost everything in a matter of minutes. It was the worst day of my life. I don’t know what to do now,” the man said.
The lottery company said that if no one claims the prizes within 30 days, they will be donated to charity.
The man said he hopes that someone will find his wallet and return it to him, or at least use the money for a good cause.
“I don’t care about the money anymore. I just want my wallet back. It has my ID, my credit cards, my photos, and my memories. It’s more valuable than any lottery ticket,” the man said.