A fortune cookie led to a fortune for Charles W. Jackson Jr., 66, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, who recently won a Powerball jackpot of $344.6 million. “You play to win but you never really expect to win the whole dang pot,” Jackson said at a press conference.
Jackson said he selected his six Powerball numbers from a fortune cookie his granddaughter received at a Vietnamese restaurant but he didn’t realize the amount of his prize until the next morning. Jackson said, “I didn’t see it all at first. I thought I had only matched four of the five white balls. I thought that meant I had only won $50,000. I called my wife and told her, ‘I need to go to Raleigh. I won something!'”
Jackson continued, “I decided to check again. I saw the last number and thought, ‘I’ve won the whole thing!’ I didn’t know how much I had won until I Googled it. I couldn’t believe it! I still can’t believe it. I’m numb.” Jackson bought his winning ticket at Carlie C’s in Hope Mills, which will receive a $50,000 retailer incentive award.
Jackson opted for the $223.3 million cash payment, meaning he will take home $158 million after taxes. He acknowledged the jackpot is “life changing” but said, “It probably won’t change us much. I mean, let me put it this way, I will still wear jeans. But I will probably buy some new ones!”
Jackson added he will share his fortune with three charities that are important to his family. “I’m going to pay it forward and donate to St. Jude Hospital, the Wounded Warriors Project and the Shriners. I always said I would if I ever won the lottery. So I’m going to make due on that promise,” Jackson said.
With the win, Jackson became the winner of the largest jackpot in North Carolina lottery history. His prize surpasses the state’s previous jackpot record of $188 million, won in February 2015. Jackson’s win is the seventh time the state has produced either a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot winner, with five Powerball jackpot wins and two Mega Millions jackpot wins.
Since the jackpot began rolling on March 30, Powerball ticket sales generated $8.9 million for education in North Carolina. For every $2 Powerball ticket sold, 76 cents goes toward education.
Other North Carolina Powerball players won $4.2 million since March 30, including one $1 million prize, one $150,000 prize, one $100,000 prize and five $50,000 prizes.
