Includes video report
The grateful winner of a Mega Millions lottery prize has promised to give $10,000 to the clerk who sold him a winning ticket so her family can take trip to their home of South Korea.
Sue Park, 54, the owner of Howards Mini Mart in Bakersfield, Calif, says Max Coronado — her "favorite customer" — comes to play the lottery three times a week, each time proposing that if he wins, they will go to Korea to start a Taco Bell together.
"Of course, I thought he was just playing around," Park said through a translator. "He's a retired senior. Do you think he would go to Korea to open a Taco Bell?"
Coronado, who spends $80 each week playing the lottery, matched only five of the six numbers on his ticket in Tuesday's drawing, narrowly missing out on the $106 million Mega jackpot. But he still offered $10,000 of his winnings to Park.
Coronado, who has not responded to calls from ABCNews.com, has shown himself to be a generous tipper in the past.
"A long time ago when he had a $100 winning ticket that my daughter sold to him, he gave her a $10 tip," Park said.
Park knew Coronado had won moments before he came to the mart to fill up on gas and ritually check his month's worth of accumulated lottery tickets. The day after the winning numbers were announced, a Mega Millions representative came to the store to time check the company's records against the store's security footage, she said.
Ten minutes later, Coronado turned up and was "very surprised" to learn he had won $1,567,705, plus an additional $92, part of which he immediately spent on more lottery tickets.
The winning ticket matched the numbers 12, 2, 54, 56 and 18, but missed the Mega number which was 1. The odds of matching all six numbers is 1 in 175,711,536, according to the Mega Millions website.
Park has reason to believe Coronado will come through, believing him to be a man who "stands by his words," but she remains philosophical about the offer, saying, "It doesn't matter whether he gives it to me or doesn't."
VIDEO: Watch the news story
Very NICE! Congrats on your win
Thats really nice, congrats to the winner and I hope the clerk enjoys a nice vacation.
Awesome story
That's what l'm talking about....
A $1.5 million payout for a 2nd tier MM prize...the gentlemen was lucky he bought it in California. Anywhere else and the prize would have been $250k.
Pari-mutuel worked to his advantage this time around
need to know if it was a quick-pick or not. if a quick-pick generated by the clerk's fingers, maybe a 500.00 tip if he was feely overly generous. if he filled out cards and actually liked the clerk maybe 100.00 would be appropriate. but 10,000.00 is way too much. his relatives if he has any must be fuming.
Let's see. He spent $40 a week for 17 years, that comes out to $32,640 spent, yet in the end he won $1,567,000 million dollars. I would say that was one hell of a return on his investment. Congrats!!!
He has $1.5 millon dollars. Ten thousand dollars isn't even one percent of his winnings before taxes. Besides, who cares if his family doesn't like it. It was his ticket, it's his money and his win. Now if he gave $100,000 to the clerk, then that might be a different story.
actually, after taxes he doesn't have that much. one would think your family and their children (assuming he has any) would be more entitled to a college fund set up for them than foisting an over "tip" on an undeserving store clerk. but that's just me. where is the fine line on the tip you say 100k is too much, i say .10 cents is too much. if he filled out his own cards. 10k is way too much that's why it's a story.
Congratulation Mr. Coronado
have fun on ypur trip Ms. Park
In the video he says he's going to pay off his house and send the clerk back to South Korea for a vacation. I think both are very nice, a blessing!
Nice guy, good story..!
Great story. I read it on ABC news facebook page yesterday. Even though he hasn't fulfilled his promise yet, the old man sure sound like a good man. I hope he enjoys his winning as it has been a long time coming for him.
Coronado, who spends $80 each week playing the lottery.
I might never win if this is what it takes. Thank goodness that is not it. One ticket is the threshold. Coronado is a very generous man. I buy my tickets are random stores so I have no personal attachment to any store clerks. Still, I would reward the one that handed me the life changer