László Andraschek won Hungary’s biggest ever lottery jackpot of 630million Hungarian forint - which works out at about £1.7 million - after buying a ticket at a railway station on his way to Budapest for a workshop for recovering alcoholics.
He was unemployed, in debt and faced another year of living on the streets, so, when the homeless man found a few coins left in his pocket, he decided to take a chance.
Quoted in The Metro, László said: "I had only picked six numbers and the female shop assistant reminded me that I needed to pick a seventh.
"I told her to make it 24 – it doesn’t matter anyway."
£8 MILLION LOTTO WINNER KEEPS HIS JOB AS A CARER: "THEY NEED ME"
The first thing the 55-year-old man did after realising his life had changed forever was repay the debts to his family – and buy a car for his three children to share.
"When the car salesman asked me how much I would be willing to spend I held up three fingers.
"As I had arrived on a bike he assumed this meant 300,000 forints, but actually I meant 3million."
After struggling for years with alcoholism, László and his wife Anikó have vowed to spend the money wisely.
"I have become rich but I have not become a different person."
László now plans to use his winnings to establish a foundation for addicts and women abused by their husbands, after already making a sizeable donation to a hostel for the homeless.
The inspirational 55-year-old gave up drinking five years ago and insists he now has "no need to return" to alcohol; if he can help others make a similar change to their lives, he will be very happy.
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