Missouri man’s best friend of 50 years gave him a lottery ticket — and it was a winner

Thanks to his best friend, one Missouri man just got $50,000 richer.

As the winner related the story to the Missouri Lottery, his best friend of over 50 years had stopped by with “Crossword Xtreme” scratch-off tickets that go for $3 apiece and told him to pick one.

He waited to play the ticket and when he saw the prizes totaled up to $50,000, he didn’t wait to share the news.

“I walked across the street, and I beat on his door and got him out of bed,” said the winner, who was not named publicly by the Missouri Lottery. “Then I told him, ‘Well, here. Look at this, man.’”

After looking over the winning ticket, his friend said they had to call the lottery.

The winner plans to use some of the winnings to help out his friend.

“His vehicle just broke down, so I’m gonna take care of that for him,” the winner said.

The winning ticket was sold at Worlds Liquors convenience store at 4225 N. Oak Trafficway in Kansas City.

“Crossword Xtreme” is a $3 game offering over $14.2 million in unclaimed prizes, including nine more top prizes of $50,000, according to Missouri Lottery spokesperson Wendy Baker.

The lottery did not reveal the winner’s identity due to a winner anonymity law that went into effect in August 2021.