Man Wins $344 Million Powerball Lottery Playing Numbers From a Fortune Cookie

A retired retailer in North Carolina recently won the $344 million Powerball jackpot after playing fortune cookie numbers his granddaughter gave him.

Charles W. Jackson Jr., 66, claimed his winnings at North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters on June 4, CTV News reports. It was the largest lottery prize in North Carolina history.

Jackpot winners are given an option to get an immediate lump sum or spreading out their winnings over three decades. The IRS takes 24% of the prize money.

Jackson, who reportedly based his Powerball entry on the fortune cookie, chose the $223 million lump sum payment. Jackson said he hopes his sudden fortune doesn’t change him.

“I’m still going to wear my jeans — maybe newer ones,” he was quoted as saying.

He intends to donate some of the money to several charities and give $1 million to his brother.

According to Jackson, he initially thought he had won just $50,000. However, as he was about to collect his prize, he realized he had actually won a lot more money.

“I said, ‘Dang, I got them all,”‘ he told the local press.

Since he doesn’t watch television news, he looked up the jackpot amount on Google. He then told his wife, “You ain’t going to believe this — I got it all.”

Featured image via Pixabay/Miguel Á. Padriñán

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