A homeless man struck it rich in more ways than one when he won the lottery last week.

The man bought a California Lottery scratch-off ticket at Sandy’s Deli-Liquor in San Luis Obispo and quickly scratched it off to check if he had won any money.

Upon scratching off his Red 777 Scratcher ticket, he thought he had won $100,000, but Wilson Samaan, the store owner, informed him that he had actually won $1,000,000.

The lucky winner was a regular customer at Wilson’s store and had been visiting for over a decade. Due to their rapport, Wilson sometimes asked him to watch the front of the store when he needed to work in the back. Recalling the moment when the man scratched off the ticket, Wilson told KSBY: "He came to the store, scratched it, and said, 'Oh my God. Is that real? Wilson, can you come and take a look?'"

Wilson replied, "Let me see," grabbed the ticket from his hand, and checked it on the machine. He continued, "He said, 'Man, I'm not homeless anymore!' I said, 'You hit the jackpot!' He thought it was $100,000, but I told him, 'No, that's $1 million. Congrats, brother.' And we gave each other a high five."

But Wilson didn’t stop at confirming his win. He drove the man to the California Lottery’s offices in Fresno so he wouldn’t have to send his winning ticket by mail.

"I drove him to Fresno the next day, or Wednesday, because he was asking if he should send it in the mail," Wilson explained. "I told him, 'This is a million-dollar ticket. No, I’m driving you.'"

The man, whose life has now changed, called the win "life-changing." He plans to use some of the money for a down payment on a house, buy a car, and invest or save the rest.

However, the process to claim the prize may take some time. Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California State Lottery, explained that such a large prize involves a thorough vetting process.

“With a million-dollar ticket like this, the person who claims the prize can expect a detailed review," she said. "We give away a lot of prize money, but we need to ensure it goes to the right person."

This process can take weeks or even months and includes an interview with the winner, a check to see if they owe any money to the state, and other steps.