The news that the Mifal Hapayis was about to award a record jackpot galvanized players nationwide and the number of purchase tickets exceeded expectations. Everyone was anxiously waiting to find out whether their ticket will match the winning numbers and lottery officials recently announced that the winner is an IDF soldier. He returned home for the weekend only to find out that the lottery ticket purchased a couple of days before matched all the winning numbers for a total payout of NIS 27 million.
A memorable weekend for the IDF soldier
This is the equivalent of $7.2 million and even though the salaries of IDF personnel are above average in Israel, this amount is a life changer. To say that this is a weekend worth talking about would be an understatement, as the soldier converted a NIS 290 lottery ticket which is about $81 into a massive jackpot. This is a record for the Mifal Hapayis lottery and that’s why when the winner stepped forward to claim his prize, the media and other players were buzzing with enthusiasm.
Given the interest for the draw itself and the aftermath, the press conference was watched live by tens of thousands and this made it more difficult for the winner not to reveal his identity. The soldier visited the Mifal Hapayis headquarters together with his father the solution they chose for preserving anonymity was a bit surprising. The two men decided to cover their faces with masks, so reporters and photographers were a bit disappointed but they had to accept this compromise. The unconventional photo shooting took place in Tel Aviv where the lottery is based, and the winner was presented with the giant check.
52 years of Mifal Hapayis
The Israeli national lottery was founded in 1951 and uses the Swiss model, with its main purpose being to raise enough money for underfunded project. While hospitals, community centers and schools all over the country are receiving financial support, Mifal Hapayis made its fair share of millionaires. The soldier is not only the most recent one but also the winner who collected the largest amount, but despite his good fortune he remains grounded.
In a press conference, he told the media that he has no intention to splash out and instead will deposit the money into a bank account and live mostly on the interest collected. The soldier also intends to take advantage of this opportunity to fund his college expenses and to look after his family, something that he shouldn’t have any problem doing given the size of the jackpot. The rules of the Mifal Hapayis state that the winner in the first category will also collect the second-tier prize, which means that the soldier scooped an additional million.
Check out the $7.2 million Pick 6 lottery jackpot won by Sparta residents as well.
About Marry Levental
Hi, my name is Marry and you can find me on Google+. I`m a little bit crazy about the lottery and writing about it is my real vocation. The lottery is a cool thing and I don`t share the opinion that it`s a tax on the poor. Look around, the world is full of chances. Why don`t you get yours right now? All you need to do is to read our recommendations and to start playing lottery online. Good luck!
