Kaiser was watching Dick Clark's Winning Lines television show Jan. 15 on Channel 4. Throughout the show, they selected a combination of numbers. At the end of the show they displayed a 1-800Énumber to call if you matched the seven digits. The numbers could be in any order and in any combination.
Kaiser's phone number had the same digits as those displayed on the television program.
"I called the number and heard a prerecorded message about being a potential winner," Kaiser said. On Monday, Jan. 17, Kaiser received a call saying he was a winner. On Tuesday, the television station sent him an affidavit to complete and have notorized. The station called to see if he understood the affidavit and asked if he could send them a picture.
"I had everything faxed and Fed-Xed the same day," Kaiser said. "It didn't sink in right away that I was a winner. There was still that element of doubt about my being a winner, I'm the kind of person who never wins anything. Then I saw my picture on the show Friday and Saturday night."
Kaiser has no plans yet as to how to spend the money. "I'll spend some of it sensibly and some foolishly," he said.