A California man is suing the state lottery, claiming he is owed the full $394 million Mega Millions jackpot from a December 2023 drawing—even though he only submitted one of the two winning tickets.
Faramarz Lahijani, who came forward in June 2024 with a single winning ticket, was awarded half the jackpot—$197.5 million. Months later, just days before the deadline to claim the second half of the prize, Lahijani said he had purchased the second ticket too, but had lost it. He filed a lawsuit on December 6, arguing he is entitled to the entire jackpot.
His claim has been met with resistance from the California Lottery and the state Attorney General’s Office, which is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed. State attorneys say lottery rules clearly require that a valid ticket must be presented to collect any prize.
“Payment of a Mega Millions prize without the submission of a valid winning ticket is expressly barred,” lottery officials wrote in court documents, according to The San Bernardino Sun.
Lahijani’s lawsuit argues that since he submitted one of the two winning tickets on time, he should be entitled to the full amount. But lottery officials say rules cannot be bent, regardless of the circumstances.
“This is unusual, but not unheard of,” a lottery spokesperson told the New York Post. “There could be many explanations—maybe someone bought two tickets with the same numbers for different reasons. We won’t know until the second ticket is presented.”
Both winning tickets were bought at a Chevron gas station in Encino, California, using the same set of numbers: 21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and the gold Mega Ball 13—numbers Lahijani says he has played for decades.
The gas station also hit the jackpot, receiving nearly $2 million in retailer bonuses for selling the two winning tickets. Under California rules, retailers receive 0.5% of a prize’s value, up to $1 million per winning ticket.
As of now, the second ticket remains unclaimed, and lottery officials say no owner has come forward.
