Powerball player buys ticket on a whim. His life-changing win leaves him ‘in shock’

It’s not often Zach Birchmeier opts to play the Powerball — but his $3 ticket turned into a win worth millions.

Birchmeier, of Fowler, Michigan, said he purchased a Powerball ticket “on a whim” for the Sept. 23 drawing.

“After the drawing, I saw an email from the lottery with instructions on claiming my prize,” he told lottery officials. “When I logged in to my account and saw $2 million pending, I was in shock!”

He matched the five white balls — 01-12-20-33-66 — to win the game’s $1 million prize. Because he spent $1 extra to add the Power Play option, his prize doubled to $2 million.

Odds of matching all five white balls are 1-in-11,688,054. Had he matched the Powerball number 21, he would have won that day’s estimated jackpot of $748 million.

Birchmeier said he plans on building a house and investing with his winnings.

“You see this happen to other people, but you never think it will happen to you, so it all still feels surreal,” Birchmeier told lottery officials.

Fowler is about 60 miles east of Grand Rapids.

This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Powerball player buys ticket on a whim. His life-changing win leaves him ‘in shock’."