Couple Wins Israeli's Biggest Jackpot Ever

The Associated Press is reporting that an Israeli couple had a record breaking winning lottery ticket in their possession for four months before realizing it was a winner.

The ticket sat unclaimed in a stack of papers and old lottery sheets at their house until one day they doubled-checked the numbers and realized they were about to become $20 million richer.

They then raced straight to a store before closing time to submit their ticket and see how much money they were due.

As they found out how many zeroes were in their winning prize, a hush fell over the store, AP reported.

"How much did we win, for God's sake?" the man remembers thinking. He added, "Everyone there was pretty shocked.”

The couple were handed a huge cheque at a press conference wearing red masks featuring the lottery’s logo to hide their identities. Generally, Israel hides the names of lottery winners for privacy concerns.

"This win is thanks to my wife, who pushed me to go check the tickets because otherwise I wouldn't have found it," said the man.

"We believed the winner would arrive sooner or later," the lottery's manager of drawings and winnings told Israeli Army Radio.

The couple said that all that money will not have an impact on their lives.

"Money is important and gives us peace of mind for our children's future. I can now realise my dream and study astronomy," the man told the Israeli business site Globes Online.

The couple will have to pay at 25 per cent tax on their million dollar payout.