Silicon Valley (US): Narinder Badwal, an Indian-American threw a party at his friend's Milpitas restaurant after learning that he was to receive a $ 2,47,500 commission for selling one of the state's two winning $ 99 million Super Lotto tickets.

What Badwal didn't know was that he had sold one of the winning tickets to himself, and that he had won $ 49.5 million, representing his half of a jackpot that he shared with an aspiring actress from Southern California.

Owner of a convenience store in Santa Clara, in the heart of the Silicon Valley, Badwal told reporters that he didn't bother to check his tickets, which he had bought about 90 minutes before last Wednesday's draw, because "it was so busy at the store."

An aspiring actress and her fiance stepped up to claim half the prize, $ 49.5 million (for the other ticket sold elsewhere).

But on Friday morning, his brother, Parminder Badwal, knowing no one had stepped forward to claim the other half of the jackpot, phoned and suggested that Narinder check his tickets, the San Jose Mercury reported on October 28.

"I said, 'Forget it, you know that I never win more than $10 or $11, so what's the big deal?' " said Badwal, who has played the lottery since it began in 1985.

He told his brother, Parminder Badwal, to check the tickets, which were in his office. He had picked the same numbers, which have no special significance, for the past four months. But he never figured he would win.

Fifteen minutes later, Narinder's brother informed him of the lottery win.

Narinder Badwal, 49, said he is planning no significant changes in his life and intends to keep running his store.

But he will increase his donations to charity, the first big beneficiary of which would be the Sankara Eye Foundation, which funds research on blindness and provides eye care to the poor in India.

On October 28, the couple again gathered at their friend's restaurant once again for another celebration and the official presentation from lottery officials.

PTI