Young family scoops record NIS 74m Israeli lottery win

Foreign real estate buyers deterred by strong shekel

Mifael Hapayis CEO presented a check to the couple who did not discover their winning ticket for over three months.

An Israeli family in their 30s with small children has won the largest ever prize on Israel's Mifal Hapayis national lottery. Mifal Hapayis CEO Saul Sotnik today presented the couple, who are from the center of the country, with a check for NIS 74 million. The previous record win was NIS 50 million.

The couple purchased the winning ticket in December, and routinely do not check the tickets they buy until several months later. The husband insisted that the win would not change their lives. He said, "Money is important and gives us peace of mind for our children's future. I can now realize my dream and study astronomy."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 13, 2010