If you thought that lottery winners would rush to cash in their winning tickets, you’d better think again because there are some who are extremely patient. Two brothers from Syracuse New York, waited for more than six years after purchasing the winning ticket in a store owned by their parents. It took them an incredibly long period of time to come forward and claim their money, but it seems like the two brothers have solid reasons for taking their time. The total amount is about $5 million, a massive amount for scratch off tickets, which only makes the story even more exciting.
Concerned about the windfall
Andy Ashkar is 34 years old and his brother Nayel Ashkar is two years older, and they claimed their money just in time, because the tickets would have expired in 11 days. Unlike lottery tickets such as Mega Millions, where the expiration date comes one year after purchasing the tickets, scratch-off slips expire one year after the game is withdrawn. The $500,000,000 Extravaganza offers millions to the lucky winners, and what the brothers won was nothing short of the big prize.
Everyone is wondering why the two brothers waited for so long until claiming the prize, and their reason seems to be the concern for a windfall. They didn’t want the huge amount of money have a negative effect on their lives and the lives of those close to them, so they chose to wait. This kind of attitude is not surprising from people who are grounded and make long-term plans although the duration is not ordinary.
Plans for the future
Now that the two brothers took everything into consideration and have a plan for the future, they can spend the money they won to improve their lives. Andy Ashkar was only engaged at the time he won the scratch-off competition, but now that he is happily married the half of the money will come in handy. The wife on the other brother told reporters that after her husband claimed the prize, the news spread at blazing fast speeds and friends and family called to express their satisfaction.
As for the parents, they are still working in the store from which the brothers bought the tickets six years ago and they have no intention to change anything in their lives. They’ve immigrated to the United States almost 14 years ago and they have been in the possession of the store for more than a decade. Given the fact that the lottery officials checked the validity of the ticket and concluded that it was lawfully purchased, there is no obstacle blocking the way of Andy and Nayel. Only time will tell if the Ashkar brothers will continue to manage the auto dealerships in New York or make another career choice.
About Jonathan White
Hi, my name is Johnathan and you can find me on Google+. I`m a freelance writer and one of the team of talented and faithful LotteryPros.com and LotteryCrunch.com contributors. Lottery is my hobby, inspiration and a favorite subject to write about. I do hope that my sincere posts will help you to become more rich and successful. Stay tuned!
