Florida lottery winner, 20, 'retired' to 'have fun' after scoring $451million jackpot

For most of us, retirement is a distant dream. But for 20-year-old Shane Missler from Florida , that day came unexpectedly early when he was announced as the sole winner of a staggering $451million lottery jackpot .

In 2018, Shane became the fourth largest lottery winner in US history when he scooped the MegaMillions jackpot. He chose to take a lump sum payment of $282million instead of receiving the full amount in annual installments.

According to a press release, the young lottery winner had an inkling he would win on the night of the draw that turned him into a multi-millionaire. Minutes after the draw, he took to Facebook to express his disbelief, posting: "Oh. My. God."

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While collecting his winnings at the state lottery headquarters in Tallahassee, Shane shared his plans for the windfall. "I'm only 20, but I hope to use it to pursue a variety of passions, help my family and do some good for humanity," he stated.

"I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way, and establish a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future," he also told the Tampa Bay Times. Shane quickly hired a lawyer, who confirmed that the 20-year-old had officially "retired" from his job at a company conducting employment background checks.

Shane bought the winning ticket from a 7-Eleven in his hometown of Port Richet, choosing the Quick Pick option which selects numbers randomly. He attributed his win to positive thinking. He shared his wisdom saying, "If there is one thing I have learned thus far in my short time on this earth it is that those who maintain a positive mindset and stay true to themselves get rewarded," and then optimistically added, "I look forward to the future."

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Since claiming his win, Shane's been living up the high life if his Instagram is anything to go by, jet-setting and scoring seats at boxing and UFC showdowns. Post-victory saw Shane compelled to take to Twitter setting the record straight about misleading scams leveraging his name.

It turns out scammers have concocted sham profiles, posing as him and pledging wads of cash to unsuspecting folks. Shane clarified the mess posting: "Unfortunately many fake accounts have already circulated," along with his disclaimer, "My only active and real accounts are Instagram and Twitter both @TheShaneMissler."