North Carolina Man Wins $1 Million After Finding $20 in a Parking Lot
Imagine this: you’re going about your day, and you stumble upon a random $20 bill in a parking lot. For most of us, it’s a small but happy find, maybe enough for a quick meal or a little treat. But for Jerry Hicks, a carpenter from Banner Elk, North Carolina, that $20 turned into a life-changing stroke of luck. Hicks, a 56-year veteran of carpentry, was wrapping up his day when he noticed the bill lying on the ground near a Speedway convenience store. In a split-second decision, he used it to purchase a scratch-off lottery ticket. This choice didn’t just pay off—it turned him into a millionaire.
Hicks entered the Speedway planning to buy a specific lottery ticket, but when it wasn’t in stock, he opted for a $25 Extreme Cash scratch-off instead. To his amazement, this substitute ticket won him the game’s grand prize of $1 million. He later shared his story with the North Carolina Education Lottery, recounting how he had simply picked up the $20 he found and “used it to buy the ticket,” which ultimately set off this extraordinary series of events. It's hard not to marvel at the sheer luck of that moment.
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When Hicks went to claim his prize, he faced a decision familiar to many lottery winners: he could either receive annual payments of $50,000 over 20 years or take a one-time lump sum. He chose the latter, collecting $600,000 before taxes. After federal and state deductions, Hicks walked away with $429,007. It’s a tidy sum that he says he’ll use to help his family and support his long-awaited retirement after more than five decades of hard work in the construction field.
Hicks’s story has sparked plenty of smiles and curiosity across social media. People can’t help but wonder what they’d do in his shoes, especially given his heartwarming plans. For his first celebration, Hicks declared he would take his family to Golden Corral, planning to “eat everything they’ve got.” It’s a down-to-earth choice that fits his character, and it’s clear that Hicks is embracing this unexpected fortune in stride. Beyond that celebratory meal, he plans to use the winnings to step back from work and enjoy more time with his children and loved ones, truly making the most of his lucky day.
Jerry Hicks’s story is the kind of feel-good moment that reminds us all about the serendipity of life’s small choices. That $20 bill could have ended up in anyone’s pocket, but it found its way to Hicks, changing his life in a way he never could have anticipated.
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