In a tragic turn of events, an 88-year-old man from Madrid has passed away just months after winning the coveted El Gordo Christmas Lottery. Jesús Martínez had been purchasing lottery tickets on a whim for years, but it wasn’t until December 2022 that his luck finally changed.
With the winning numbers of ‘05490’, Jesús became an instant millionaire, winning $1.2 million in the lottery. However, his joy was short-lived as he passed away just four months later, leaving many wondering what he could have done with his winnings had he lived longer.
According to a friend of Jesús who wished to remain anonymous, “It’s unfortunate that Jesús only had a few months to enjoy his winnings. He had already collected three months’ worth of payments, but it’s unclear how he had spent his money.”
Jesús had purchased the El Gordo Christmas Lottery ticket at a local store, where he had stumbled upon a card reading “You will someday become a millionaire.” Encouraged by the message, he continued to buy tickets until he finally won big.
The El Gordo Christmas Lottery is a special event in Spain, with ticket sales beginning in July and continuing until December 21st. The lottery is known for its grand prize and is sold at a wide variety of locations, from small shops and restaurants to large companies and government offices.
The lottery drawing takes place at San Ildefonso School in Madrid, where the participating students and their families consider it a great honor to take part in the event. The students draw small wooden balls, with one containing the winning number and the other revealing the corresponding prize. When announcing the winning numbers, the children sing them out loud with great enthusiasm.
The reason why children are chosen to draw the lottery is because of their innocence, which is believed to make the process fair and unbiased. However, for Jesús Martínez, his short-lived fortune is a tragic reminder that life is unpredictable, and we must cherish every moment we have.
