A North Carolina resident experienced an extraordinary stroke of luck when he stumbled upon a $20 bill on the ground, which he then used to secure a $1,000,000 lottery prize.
Such a turn of events certainly makes for a memorable day.
The series of fortunate events unraveled last Tuesday (October 22), when Banner Elk’s Jerry Hicks, found a $20 bill outside a Speedway convenience store in Boone, located in western North Carolina.
Many might simply pocket the found money and indulge in a little treat, like a coffee muffin or some extra drinks at a bar.
However, Hicks chose to spend the money immediately, adding an extra $5 of his own to buy a $25 Extreme Cash scratch-off ticket, as his usual lottery choice was unavailable.
Per the North Carolina Education Lottery, the chance of hitting the $1 million jackpot was 1 in 2,017,650.
Yet Hicks defied these odds, transforming from someone $20 richer to a person with a much larger fortune in just minutes.
Hicks visited the North Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters on Friday to claim his prize. He chose a lump-sum payment of $600,000 over a 20-year annuity.
Post-tax, this amounted to $429,007, as confirmed by the lottery officials.
Not a bad return for a $25 investment, wouldn’t you agree?
Hicks, who has worked as a carpenter for 56 years, intends to utilize these winnings for retirement and to assist his children in the future.
However, his immediate plan was to take his family out for a celebration.
“We are going to head straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they’ve got,” he shared with lottery officials.
In contrast, Hicks’ financial windfall is a permanent change compared to another person’s fleeting luck when they awoke to an unexpected $89,900,912 in their bank account.
Manhattan venture capitalist Daniel Levene ‘knew it was a mistake’ but couldn’t help dreaming about traveling the globe and purchasing a yacht.
Regrettably, E-Trade Financial Corporation, which mistakenly credited the amount, corrected the error and reclaimed the funds.
At least Levene got a brief taste of the millionaire lifestyle, which is more than what most people experience!