Math major wins $1 million in Virginia lottery. Mom helped him beat astronomical odds

A mathematics major at the University of Virginia recently won $1 million in the state lottery, and it had nothing to do with his skillful use of numbers and logic.

Mom picked the six winning numbers.

Brian Donohue of Fairfax County got the ticket from his mother as a gift in his Christmas stocking, according to a Jan. 6 news release from the Virginia Lottery.

It was in the Bank a Million game, and his mother purchased the $2 ticket at a grocery store in Oakton on Dec. 22, officials said. The town is just west of Arlington in northern Virginia.

“The winning numbers were 4-8-21-25-32-35, and the Bonus Ball number was 15,” lottery officials said. “The winning ticket matched all six of the first numbers exactly, which means the Bonus Ball number wasn’t needed to win!”

Donohue — or rather, his mom — beat odds of 1 in 3.8 million to win the top prize.

The obvious question, will he share the winnings with her?

Donohue came up with a better idea.

He’s going to use the money to pay off his college tuition ... and help pay his sister’s tuition, officials said. He didn’t say what she’s majoring in.

Bank a Million has prizes of $1 million, $500,000 and $250,000 and the game is “calculated so that winners receive the prize amount after federal and state tax withholdings,” officials said.

This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 7:26 AM with the headline "Math major wins $1 million in Virginia lottery. Mom helped him beat astronomical odds."