A North Carolina man was “feeling lucky,” so he bought a $50 scratch-off lottery ticket
Jeremy Wilson of Willow Spring ended up winning big, and immediately called his mom to tell her the exciting news
“She thought I was joking,” Wilson recalled of his mom’s reaction to the news
A North Carolina man was “feeling lucky, so he decided to play the lottery. He ended up winning big, and his mom was the first person he called to share the exciting news.
Jeremy Wilson of Willow Spring purchased a $50 scratch-off ticket on Wednesday night, Sept. 17, at North River Tobacco Barn on Caratoke Highway in Jarvisburg, according to a release from the North Carolina Education Lottery. He scratched the $10 Million Spectacular ticket right on the spot in the store.
“It was a crazy feeling,” Wilson recalled. “I couldn’t control myself.”
He realized he had won the top prize of $10 million and called his mom.
“She thought I was joking,” Wilson said of his mom’s reaction to the news.
Wilson’s prize marks the third $10 million win in North Carolina this year so far, per the Lottery.
When Wilson came to the Lottery’s office on Thursday, Sept. 18, to collect his winnings, he had the option of receiving his prize as either an annuity of $500,000 a year over 20 years or a lump sum of $6 million. He chose the latter, and after state and federal taxes, took home $4,305,014.
He plans to use some of the money to take his mom on a trip for her birthday and save the rest.
According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, the $10 Million Spectacular game debuted in December 2023, with five top prizes of $10 million, 20 prizes of $1 million and 20 prizes of $100,000. Because Wilson won the last $10 million top prize, the lottery “will begin the process of ending the game.”
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In a similar story this week, a Chicago man won a $1,000,004 prize after he decided on a whim to play the Powerball during a trip to the car wash. He promptly called his wife to tell her the news, and she didn’t believe him at first.
“She thought I was lying,” the man, who chose to remain anonymous, recalled to Illinois Lottery officials.
But then his wife made a quick family decision. “Then she said, ‘We’re going to Disney World!’ ” the man recounted.
“Disney World is officially on the itinerary,” the man said with a laugh.
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