A forgotten ticket. A ticking clock. And a $24M jackpot hanging in the balance

Have you ever found your phone in your jeans pocket just before tossing them in the wash? That split second of panic, relief, and sheer luck all rolled into one? Now imagine that feeling—but instead of a phone, it’s a $24 million winning lottery ticket that was hours from expiring.

That’s exactly what happened to Jimmie Smith, a retired security guard from East Orange, New Jersey. For years, he had been casually buying lottery tickets and stashing them away, never in a rush to check if he’d won anything. But when he heard a news report about an unclaimed jackpot, he decided to sift through his collection. That’s when he discovered a life-changing slip of paper buried in his closet.

The shocking moment of realization

Jimmie had no idea he had been sitting on a fortune.

“I ended up with a stack—a pile of tickets, including the one they were talking about on the news,” he told lottery officials.

He checked the numbers, and to his shock, they matched. He was now a multimillionaire. But the realization took a moment to sink in.

“I stood there for a minute thinking, ‘Do I see what I think I see?’ I had to stick my head out the window and breathe some fresh air. I was in serious doubt. I really had to convince myself this was real.”

— Jimmie Smith

A ticket on the verge of expiration

Jimmie had unknowingly come dangerously close to losing his prize forever. Lottery officials were actively searching for the missing winner, urging New Yorkers to “Check your pockets. Check your glove box. Look under the couch cushions.”

At the time, Gweneth Dean, director of the New York Gaming Commission’s Division of the Lottery, emphasized the urgency:

“A lucky New Yorker has a $24 million Lotto payday just waiting—but the winner has to act fast as time is running out.”

— Gweneth Dean

The ticket, purchased on May 25, 2016, at a grocery and tobacco shop in Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, had just two days left before it became worthless. If Jimmie hadn’t checked his closet when he did, his life-changing win would have vanished into thin air.

A quiet millionaire

Despite his newfound fortune, Jimmie didn’t rush into the spotlight. After confirming his win, he disappeared for five months before reemerging to complete the required paperwork. Instead of taking a lump sum, he opted to receive his $24 million in installments over 26 years. Then, just as quickly as he appeared, he vanished again, choosing to keep his life private.

Jimmie’s story is proof that luck can strike in the most unexpected ways—and that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to check those old lottery tickets lying around. Who knows? You might be sitting on a fortune.