David Fortune, 53, of West Chazy, Clinton County, was handed a giant $5,000,000 prize check today by the New York Lottery’s Jina Myers. Despite having a “wealthy” last name, Fortune was not a millionaire until winning the top prize on the Lottery’s $5,000,000 Cash!  scratch-off game.

Fortune considers himself to be a very lucky person, but admits to almost losing his millions. Fortune initially scratched the ticket “in a rush” and thought it was a non-winner. He put the ticket in a pile of other non-winning tickets and left it there. While sitting in the Laundromat days later, Fortune went through the pile a second time. “I do that a lot,” he said. “I comb through my losers looking for winners I missed.”  He then saw the match on the number 39 and realized it was a $5,000,000 winner.

Fortune claimed the top prize on the $5,000,000 Cash!  scratch-off game on August 20 at the Lottery’s Schenectady Customer Service Center. He bought his winning ticket at Kinney Drugs, 52 Boynton Avenue in Plattsburgh.

The top prize on the $5,000,000 Cash!  scratch-off game is paid as a lump sum. Fortune will receive a net check of $3,309,000 after required withholdings.

Fortune admitted suffering through many nicknames during his life because of his last name, but is glad he “finally got the last laugh.”