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Homeless man wins $500,000 on lottery ticket

Posted at 6:59 AM, Dec 09, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-09 08:59:51-05

A homeless man in Aspen won half a million dollars on a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Michael Engfors, 61, paid $10 for an "Eternal Splendor" ticket Friday at City Market, the Aspen Times reported.

Engfors has been staying at the Aspen Homeless Shelter since 2009, officials told the newspaper.

An official with the shelter said Engfors plans to use his winnings to finding his long-lost daughter, who is in her 20s.

It's believed Engfors collected between $300,000 and $400,000 after taxes.

According to the Colorado Lottery, the odds of winning the $500,000 prize on the Eternal Splendor ticket are 840,000 to one.

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