Desiree Fortini-Craft did not immediately claim her $25 million prize after she emerged as the recent winner in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “Billion Dollar Extravaganza” $50 instant game. She rather opted to go on vacation in Aruba before doing that. But that wasn’t after she scratched her winning ticket and hid it in a secure place before jetting off.
Per WFXT-TV, this wasn’t also the first time Fortini-Craft had claimed a prize as she won a $1 million lottery in 2006. That could have been the reason behind her supposedly calm reaction after winning the $25 million.
The Massachusetts Lottery in a December 1 statement said Fortini-Craft purchased her winning ticket at Baker Street Market, 419 Baker St. in West Roxbury. She said she then scratched her winning ticket a few weeks before going on vacation to Aruba.
Asked what she’ll be doing with the $16,250,000 (before taxes) one-time payment she opted to take, Fortini-Craft said she’ll pay off the student loans of her three daughters, make some significant family purchases, and also buy a new car.
She also said, “they want to enjoy life, they are hard workers, and they plan on having a really good Christmas in Aruba.”
