North Carolina man wins $1 million jackpot after finding $20 bill in parking lot | North Carolina

An abandoned $20 bill became a $1 million jackpot for a North Carolina man hoping to use his luck to fund his retirement.

Jerry Hicks, an Avery County carpenter, walked into a Speedway supermarket after finding a $20 bill in the parking lot outside. He used the newly discovered banknote to buy a $25 scratch card from Extreme Cash – and it turned out to be a lucky investment.

According to a news release from North Carolina lottery officials, Hicks had initially planned to purchase a different lottery ticket that wasn't available in the store – so he settled for entering the Extreme Cash lottery instead and won the seven-figure jackpot.

“They actually didn't have the ticket I was looking for, so I bought this one instead,” Hicks said in a press release that went viral in Internet circles dedicated to finding stories with good results.

Hicks claimed his prize money Friday at North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters. He chose to receive the award as a lump sum of $600,000 rather than as a 20-year annuity, according to the press release.

The lottery winner took home $429,007 after deducting required state and federal taxes.

Hicks shared that he plans to use his winnings to retire after 56 years as a carpenter. He also plans to help his children. But the first priority is a family celebration.

“We're going to go straight to the Golden Corral and eat everything they have,” he told lottery officials.