North Carolina Man Wins $1M Lottery Prize After Buying Ticket with $20 He Found on the Street

Mar. 15, 2025

Lottery Scratch Off Tickets.Photo:Getty

Getty

One North Carolina man had a stroke of good luck when he not only found a $20 bill but used it to buy a lottery ticket that saw him win big.Jerry Hicks, a resident of Banner Elk, found $20 on the ground and used the money to buy an Extreme Cash scratch-off ticket that ultimately won the $1 million dollar prize, according toNorth Carolina Lotteryofficials.The master carpenter explained how his surprise windfall came to be. “I found $20 in the parking lot outside the Speedway. I used that to buy the ticket,” Hicks told lottery officials. “They actually didn’t have the ticket I was looking for, so I bought that one instead,” he added.Extreme Cash scratch-off.nclottery.comNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“We are going to head straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they’ve got,” Hicks said of the initial plan for his winnings — but his long-term goals involve supporting himself and his family.Per local ABC affiliateWLOS, Hicks said he plans to use his winnings to retire after 56 years as a carpenter and to help out his children.When he arrived at the North Carolina lottery office to claim his prize, Hicks could decide between receiving his winnings as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum and, after federal and state tax deductions, took home $429,007, lottery officials said.

One North Carolina man had a stroke of good luck when he not only found a $20 bill but used it to buy a lottery ticket that saw him win big.

Jerry Hicks, a resident of Banner Elk, found $20 on the ground and used the money to buy an Extreme Cash scratch-off ticket that ultimately won the $1 million dollar prize, according toNorth Carolina Lotteryofficials.

The master carpenter explained how his surprise windfall came to be. “I found $20 in the parking lot outside the Speedway. I used that to buy the ticket,” Hicks told lottery officials. “They actually didn’t have the ticket I was looking for, so I bought that one instead,” he added.

Extreme Cash scratch-off.nclottery.com

nclottery.com

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“We are going to head straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they’ve got,” Hicks said of the initial plan for his winnings — but his long-term goals involve supporting himself and his family.

Per local ABC affiliateWLOS, Hicks said he plans to use his winnings to retire after 56 years as a carpenter and to help out his children.

When he arrived at the North Carolina lottery office to claim his prize, Hicks could decide between receiving his winnings as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum and, after federal and state tax deductions, took home $429,007, lottery officials said.

source: people.com