Random number generator earns man a lottery prize worth $25,000 a year for life

Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A Michigan man who won a lottery jackpot of $25,000 a year for life said the numbers on his winning ticket came from a random number generator he found online.

Aaron Essenmacher, 50, of Warren, told Michigan Lottery officials he bought his ticket for the Sept. 15 Lucky for Life drawing from the Happy Days Party Store in Warren.

"I've been playing Lucky For Life quite a bit lately and I always use the same sets of numbers," Essenmacher said. "When I purchased my ticket, I played the sets of numbers I typically play and then I decided to add another set of numbers which I got by using a random number generator I found online."

The five white balls in the drawing were 02-18-27-41-45.

"I was checking the winning numbers online the day after the drawing and when I saw I'd matched five, I couldn't believe it! What shocked me even more was that the numbers I won on are the ones I got from the random number generator. I kept scanning my ticket on the app over and over again because I couldn't believe I'd really won," Essenmacher said.

The random numbers earned Essenmacher a prize of $25,000 a year for life. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump sum payment of $390,000.

Essenmacher said his prize money will go toward paying bills and taking a vacation.