Rocky Mount, N.C.
A North Carolina man turned a trip to the pharmacy into an unexpected lottery jackpot.
According to the NC Education Lottery, a tip from a Walmart employee convinced Michael Buck to try his luck in Tuesday’s record-setting Powerball drawing.
“The girl at the pharmacy told me they sold Powerball tickets at customer service,” Buck said. “I told her, ‘If I win, I’ll come back and buy you a car.’”
Lottery officials said Buck, a 62-year-old solutions architect, matched numbers on four white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000 on his Power Play ticket. The prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X Power Play multiplier hit.
“I didn’t hit the jackpot so I can’t buy her a car, but I’ll definitely bring her something,” Buck said.
The Rocky Mount resident said he purchased a $3 Quick Pick ticket from the Walmart Supercenter on Benvenue Road.
“I usually start playing when the jackpot goes over $500 million,” he said. “This win really is quite extraordinary.”
Buck said he didn’t know how to react when he realized he won.
“I kind of just walked around the house a little bit,” he said. “I was shaking.”
Officials said Buck’s win was one of 10 large cash prizes won in North Carolina this week, including a $1 million winner.
Buck claimed his prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $71,017.
He said a large portion of his winnings will boost his retirement.
According to The Associated Press, a Powerball ticket in Southern California won Tuesday’s record $2.04 billion jackpot.