In a story straight out of Hollywood, a California lottery winner is making waves, claiming he is entitled to not one but *two* Mega Millions jackpots from the same drawing. Faramarz Lahijani, who publicly claimed half of a $394 million prize earlier this year, has filed a lawsuit asserting that he also purchased—and lost—the second winning ticket, worth an additional $197.5 million.
Lahijani, who stepped forward in June to claim his first ticket, alleges that both winning tickets for the December 8, 2023, drawing were purchased at the same Chevron gas station on Ventura Boulevard in Encino. With the clock ticking on the deadline to claim the second prize, Lahijani filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the California Lottery just one day before the December 7 expiration.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, argues that Lahijani is the rightful owner of the second ticket and that his timely submission of the first matching ticket entitles him to the entire jackpot. Lahijani’s claim centers on the assertion that his family has been using the winning numbers—21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and the gold Mega Ball 13—for decades.
In a bold move, Lahijani submitted his claim to the California Lottery on December 4, just days before filing the lawsuit. His argument? That he should not be penalized for misplacing the second ticket and is owed the full sum.
Lottery officials remain tight-lipped about the case, but spokesperson Carolyn Becker previously noted that while it’s rare for identical tickets to be purchased at the same location, it isn’t impossible. “There are any number of explanations,” Becker said last year. “Perhaps one person wanted to try their luck on two different rows, or maybe a couple of buddies played the same numbers. We won’t know exactly how this happened until the prize is claimed.”
For the Chevron gas station where the tickets were purchased, the double jackpot was a windfall. The retailer received a record-breaking bonus of $1.975 million—half of 1% of the total prize value—making it the largest bonus ever awarded to a single California Lottery retailer.
The lawsuit has sparked debate among lottery enthusiasts and legal experts alike. Can someone prove ownership of a missing lottery ticket without physical evidence? Lahijani’s bold claim could set a precedent in the world of lottery law, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions jackpot continues to grow, with Friday’s drawing estimated to hit $670 million after no winner emerged from Tuesday’s $619 million prize—marking the 10th-largest jackpot in the game’s history. For players chasing the dream, Lahijani’s story serves as a reminder: double-check your numbers, and don’t lose those tickets.
As Lahijani fights for what he believes is his, Californians—and the nation—watch to see if the courts will side with him. Whether he emerges victorious or not, one thing is certain: this legal gamble is as high-stakes as the lottery itself.
