$5M Windfall For Fairfax City Man On Winning Virginia Lottery Ticket

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Alexandr Pichev's recent decision to buy a Virginia Lottery scratch-off ticket turned out to be a profitable won. He ended up winning a top prize of $5 million in the $326,000,000 Fortune game.

“It was unexpected, ” the Fairfax City man later told lottery officials. “I showed the ticket to the store manager, and he told me to sign the ticket.”

Pichev hadn't planned on purchasing any tickets that day. But when he passed the Virginia Lottery machine at the Safeway located at 3043 Nutley St., he bought several tickets and one turned out to be a winner.

Instead of having the full $5 million prize paid out over 30 years, Pichev instead chose a one-time cash option of $3,125,000 before taxes.

The chances of winning any prize in the $326,000,000 Fortune game are 1 in 3.43.

All of the Virginia Lottery's go to fund education across the state. Fairfax City, which is where Pichev lives, received $383,000 in lottery funds for K-12 education in the last fiscal year.