There have been people in this country who has won a lottery jackpot and didn't want the hassle of dealing with a bunch of greedy people they didn't know hounding them about it.  They just never showed up to claim it and allowed the state to keep it or gave the winning ticket anonymously to a charity. 

You really think that's why there have been so many unclaimed jackpots?  I can't imagine anyone would simply decide "I don't want to be rich" and throw away a winning ticket.

I noticed this man's name isn't printed.  I wonder if it's so people don't harass him.  By the way, I agree with Tenaj that he might have a good life, but he didn't say he had family & friends, he said he had nobody to share it with. Also, 70 isn't so old that he might not change his mind in the next 20 years and discover he's made a huge mistake.  Germany has socialized medicine I think, but money can assure that he'll be well cared for should he become ill and bedridden.  Something is really wrong with this whole story.  I can understand not wanting such a large jackpot, but as others have written, he could do something charitable with the entire amount without ever taking the money, like assign it over to a church or an orphanage.

Certainly large prizes have gone unclaimed and I can't imagine why anyone would show up to say they didn't want the prize when the option of never showing up at all is available.  That's what I would do if I won something I didn't want.

Very simple.  Give the money to the poor and needy. 

According to the Ananova news service, a German pensioner who won £2 million (US$4 million) playing the lottery refused the cash because he didn't know what to do with it.

The 70-year-old man from Hameln, Lower Saxony, went to the HQ of the German lottery association in Hanover after finding out about his win and told them he did not want the money.

He reportedly said: "What would I do with so much money? My wife has already passed away, my parents are dead, I have no children and no other relatives. I don't want it."

He said he had only bought the lottery ticket out of a habit because his late wife had been a passionate player.

Lottery officials said they were trying to persuade him to keep the money.

Oh My God. That's my uncle 

I don't follow basketball, very seldom but in my blog you will read about a player named Kirilenko who left a 63 million dollar NBA deal...To go to his native country russia and play...Well we can say that to each his own, but that wouldn't have been my decision, i wouldn't have gone to my native country and play, i would have stayed right here in the States....I don't know why people are leaving this high rich wins for something less...They must know what they are doing...

According to the Ananova news service, a German pensioner who won £2 million (US$4 million) playing the lottery refused the cash because he didn't know what to do with it.

The 70-year-old man from Hameln, Lower Saxony, went to the HQ of the German lottery association in Hanover after finding out about his win and told them he did not want the money.

He reportedly said: "What would I do with so much money? My wife has already passed away, my parents are dead, I have no children and no other relatives. I don't want it."

He said he had only bought the lottery ticket out of a habit because his late wife had been a passionate player.

Lottery officials said they were trying to persuade him to keep the money.