PPM Version:
These might be the MOST PATIENT MEN in the world. Six years ago, two brothers in New York won $5 MILLION on a lottery scratch-off. But they didn't cash it right away . . . because they wanted to get their lives together, and one of them wanted to make sure his girlfriend didn't marry him just for money. Finally, this year, about a week before the ticket expired, they finally cashed it in.
Full Story:
These brothers might be the MOST PATIENT MEN in the world.
--Six years ago, when Andy Ashkar of Camillus, New York was 28 years old, he bought a scratch-off lottery ticket from his parents' convenience store. He won $5 MILLION and decided to split it with his brother, 30-year-old Nayel Ashkar.
--Only they didn't want to cash it in immediately. Nayel wanted to make sure he had his life totally together before he got the money. And Andy wanted to make sure his girlfriend didn't marry him just for money.
--So they kept the ticket a secret. And finally, earlier this year, just 11 days before the prize expired, they cashed it in. Andy is now 34, and married to that girlfriend he had. Nayel is now 36, and together they're $5 MILLION richer.
--Neither one of them is taking any interview requests.
--Most lottery tickets expire after one year, but it's different with scratch-offs. Those usually don't expire until the year after their game is discontinued. And the game the Ashkars won was discontinued last March.