Monsey Woman Wins New York Lottery, Chooses $5,000 a Week for Life

There was great excitement in the Jewish community of Monsey, New York, after Henia Fried won the top prize in the New York State Lottery’s "Set for Life" scratch-off game. The winning ticket, purchased for $10 in Spring Valley, gave her an extraordinary win with the option of guaranteed income for life.

The "Set for Life" scratch-off game is considered one of the more popular lottery products in New York State, since it gives winners the choice between a substantial one-time payment and steady income over the years.

After the win, Fried had to choose between two options: receiving a one-time payment of about $3.46 million before taxes, or a fixed weekly annuity of $5,000 for the rest of her life. In the end, she chose the annuity option, which will guarantee her ongoing income over the years.

According to documents from the New York State Lottery, winners who choose this track receive $260,000 a year before taxes for at least 20 years. It was also determined that if the winner is still alive at the end of that period, the payments do not stop and continue afterward, so the weekly annuity lasts for life.

The win sparked a great deal of excitement in Monsey, where the Fried family is well known. Henia Fried is the wife of Meir Fried, a well-known baal chesed and the customer service manager of Rockland Kosher Supermarket.