May 17, 2026
The average person might march into work and excitedly quit their job after winning $5 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket. But one Washington D.C. school bus driver simply carried on with his day — albeit in pure disbelief.
Maurice Williams was on his way to work on May 5 when he made a pitstop at a 7-Eleven in Hyattsville, Maryland, to cash in a $50 prize that he won previously from a $5,000,000 LUXE game. The game, launched by the Maryland Lottery in February, costs $50 to play. Essentially, Williams won his money back and, with it, purchased another ticket. He sat in his car to start scratching.
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He didn't realize right away, but that new scratch-off would change his life.
"I didn't notice I had a matching number at first, until I scanned it," Williams told the Maryland Lottery (1). "It's crazy because the matching number was 59 and I just turned 59 the other day."
Just like that, Williams won $5,000,000.
More lucky winners are still out there
Williams sat frozen in his car, he said. He later called his mother to calm him down. Finally, he put the ticket away and went to work. Yes, he went to work.
On his break, he called the Maryland Lottery to set up an appointment to claim his winnings.
"I tossed and turned all night," he said of the night before his appointment. "I still didn't believe it until I came here."
With his winnings, Williams said he plans to buy his mother a house. The rest he'll save for now and make future financial decisions after taking time to assess his options.
Maryland's latest scratch-off game has three $5 million prizes (2). Williams won the first. Two other lucky winners have won prizes worth up to $200,000, as of May 15. Overall, eight prizes of $200,000 remain, in addition to 10 $50,000 prizes and hundreds of thousands of other prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000.
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What should you do after winning the lottery?
While you don't have to go right to work after winning the lottery, taking the time to process like Williams did is a wise move.
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Winning lottery money can immediately change your life, depending on the amount. But there are some financial choices you have to make immediately after that are just as important as how you spend your newfound cash.
Depending on the amount you win, you must choose if you want a lump sum payment or to be enrolled in an annuity plan (3), which is paid out to you over decades.
The Internal Revenue Service asks that all lottery winnings over $5,000 be taxed at 24%. If you take the lump sum payment, you'll likely be at or near the top of the IRS' highest 37% tax rate, meaning you'll owe more taxes when you file your next tax return. With an annuity payment plan, you'll be taxed on what you receive that year.
Keep in mind that state and local taxes are also taken out of lottery winnings depending on where you live.
Once you've paid Uncle Sam, it's also a good idea to pay off any high-interest debt like credit cards and other loans you may have — like a mortgage, student loans or a car loan — before going on a spending spree.
Finally, work with an estate planning lawyer and a financial advisor (4) that is accustomed to working with high-net-worth individuals. They can help you prepare for aforementioned taxes and ensure your assets are managed the way you want.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Maryland Lottery (1),(2); TurboTax (3); Forbes (4)
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Danni Santana is a journalist based out of New York City with a decade of experience reporting and editing business stories about retail, restaurants, sports, and personal finance.
