July 26, 2011 -- Merely a month after marrying his high school sweetheart, Emily, Brian Cahill, 27, of Branford is also a brand new CT Lottery millionaire. Cahill won the top prize playing the instant game, “
Set For Life 2nd Edition,” and will receive $100,000 a year for life, with a guaranteed minimum payout of $2,000,000.
“I’ve never actually met someone who won the lottery,” Cahill told Lottery officials at the Rocky Hill headquarters this morning when he came in to claim his first check of $68,503 (prize value after taxes). “It’s pretty cool – anything is possible.”
Cahill, an electrical engineer, had never played the $10 scratch ticket before. After purchasing it, he put the ticket in his back pocket and went to a job site. Later that day, Cahill scratched the ticket and revealed a matching pair of 5’s. Scratching the prize area, Cahill saw the “Set for Life” symbol and learned he’d just won $100,000 a year, every year, for the rest of his life. “I called Emily and told her, ‘I think we just won the lottery,’ but she didn’t believe me. So, I sent her a picture of the ticket on my cell phone,” said Cahill with a laugh.
"We are excited for the Cahills,” said Anne M. Noble, President & CEO, of the CT Lottery. "The final value of the Set For Life Top Prize is based on a winner's longevity. A minimum payout of $2,000,000 is guaranteed to top prize winners, but that amount can increase significantly based on a winner’s longevity. We wish Brian a long life, filled with health, happiness, and continued good fortune.”
The Cahills plan to pay off their recent wedding expenses, as well as their student loans.
Cahill’s top prize winning Set For Life ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven on Boston Post Road in Milford. For selling the winning ticket, the store will receive a $20,000 bonus check from the CT Lottery.