Man Wins $2 Million Lottery Following Accidental Purchase

One man is $2 million richer after making an accidental lottery purchase. Paul Corcoran of Massachusetts purchased two separate tickets for the July 9 Powerball.

The Massachusetts Lottery says that Corcoran believed that the drawings on the initial ticket he purchased had already occurred, and that he bought another ticket for the July 9 drawing to make sure he had a chance to win.

Both of his tickets matched all five white balls that had been drawn that night - 5, 9, 25, 28, 69. The match meant that Corcoran would win identical $1 million prizes from each ticket, before taxes.

Corcoran says that the "wins feel good," but that he hasn't determined what he'll spend the money on after picking it up.

He purchased one ticket at a grocery store in Finchburg, while the other ticket was purchased at a gas station Leominster, Massachusetts. ABC News says that Powerball wil give each store a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning tickets.

The current Powerball jackpot is set at $264 million or a cash value of $119.7 million and the next drawing is set for Monday evening. Drawings take place weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, and fans and participants can tune in from all over the country.

Corcoran has already claimed his winnings, but some experts say that taking things a step further is necessary when winning the lottery. Forbes says safeguarding the ticket, talking to the correct family members and friends and confirming logistics with the state lottery office.

"Before you claim the ticket, hire an estate planning lawyer and a financial advisor, preferably those with experience working with ultra-high-net-worth families,"  the publication added.

"They will ensure you have your legal and financial ducks in a row before claiming the jackpot." The publication cited real estate planning and investment accounts as areas of expertise for financial advisers with high performance clientele.

Winning the lottery can change a person's life overnight, and it seems that it's exactly what's happened for Corcoran. We'll see if he can enjoy the  novelty of being a two-time lottery winner with duplicate tickets on the same exact night.