Includes video report
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina lottery officials Tuesday evening revealed that a Cumberland County man was the winner of the $344.6 million Powerball ticket that was purchased in Hope Mills.
The winner, Charles W. Jackson Jr., was revealed at a news conference at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at the North Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Raleigh.
Jackson, 66, has elected to take a lump sum payment of $223 million, which amounts to an after-tax payment of $158 million according to lottery officials.
"I never expected to win, so I just got lucky," Jackson said during a news conference.
The massive jackpot is the 19th-largest jackpot in the Powerball game's history, and overall the 33rd-largest jackpot of any lottery game in US history. The cash value is the 32nd-largest lottery lump-sum cash value of all time in the US.
During the news conference, he said plans to give some money to St. Jude's, Shriner's Hospital and the Wounded Warrior Project.
"I didn't know it until this morning. I didn't see the last digit — I thought I had just won $50,000," Jackson said.
He called his wife to tell her that they needed to go to Raleigh to collect the money and only realized later he won the full amount.
"After I hung up with her I jumped back in there and looked — and I said "dang I got em all'," he said.
Jackson said he had to use Google to find out how much the ticket was worth after his wife asked him, and he didn't know.
Jackson said he picked his winner numbers partially from a fortune cookie at a Vietnamese restaurant.
Jackson is already retired — he previously had a military store on Riley Road near Fort Bragg.
"You play to win — but you don't ever expect to win," he said. "It still hasn't come over me yet how much — all that money."
Jackson said he planned to give $1 million to his brother.
The winning ticket was sold at Carlie C's in Hope Mills.
Lottery officials said it's the largest jackpot ever won in North Carolina involving a single ticket. It's the fifth time a North Carolina ticket claimed a Powerball jackpot.
VIDEO: Watch the press conference
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
"Partially" from a fortune cookie. That explains why there was only one winner.
Fortune Cookie Say:
You can still love what you can not have in life.
Learn Chinese: German = Na-zee
Lucky numbers (Lotto): 02-18-01-29-08-06
Daily numbers (Pick3): 765
Congratulations to Charles W. Jackson Jr.
He has made some rookie mistakes. There is no need to promise anything to anybody. He should have placed his ticket into a safe box.
I understand the pull of turning the ticket in. It is a powerful emotion.
He has not hired financial advisers.
Enjoy your retirement with your family Charles!
Good for him, twice, once for the win and once for saying what should be the mantra for all lottery players;
"You play to win — but you don't ever expect to win," he said. "It still hasn't come over me yet how much — all that money."
That gentleman was pretty funny....Have a wonderful time Charles
Anyone know who the Asian guy is that came in with him?
It was his sidekick... Kato
I thought it might be either his own personal protection Ninja, or owns the restaurant where he got the fortune cookie.
All Right!
And now we need a 65 year old retiree from my house to win MM tomorrow!
Another article says his wife is from Vietnam, so the Asian gentleman is probably a son or inlaw.
He said he'll donate to St. Judes, Shriner's, and Wounded Warrior. Good.
The scary thing is he won on Saturday and picks up cash (giant check) on Tues. I hope he had enough time to get the proper legal/tax/financial advisers lined up!
For me, if I win the MegaMillions jackpot, I will invest in a chicken ranch with mutant large chickens. Then I'll sell the eggs as "Megga Eggas".
He Played!
He Won!
He Claimed His Prize His Way!
Ah....that would likely explain the Asian guy with him!
Yea, I think he acted kinda quick as well. Hope he can dot his I's and cross his T's before anything goes sideways for him.
Forget that Asian guy standing around. The young woman in the Powerball costume is the unsung hero of this video. She did "jazz hands" for nearly 10 minutes without a break, in a big costume that's hot, heavy, and uncomfortable as hell.
Oh for Pete's sake..What's an old fuddy duddy that age, gonna do with $343 Million dollars besides buy Bengay, Viagra and Metamucil ?
Youre a little too hard on seniors buddy.
Ill have you know that at age 65 I dont use any of those products!
Just remember, you arent that far behind us seniors....so be nice!
I hear ya.... gotta harass DP from time to time.. Lets me know if he's alive
Passing judgment on this guy is a little shortsighted don’t you think? After all, he won fair & square, what he does with HIS money is really his business. This “ he should have waited”- waited for what? It’s possible that he has extended family that are in the banking business, perhaps even attorneys. On the plus side, the sooner he collects, the sooner: St Jude, Shriners, Wounded Warriors get their much needed Benjamin’s. I would be concerned if his relative was Hung, our “ Lead Hand” North of the border who supposedly stiffed his co workers and is traveling abroad.
You might be surprised LOL!
There's a lot of Tommy Bahama to purchase!
Forget the retiree, I want to know about the girl in the powerball outfit. =0)
Step aside and let the middle-aged folks take a crack at that jackpot.
Congrats to the winner
* CA has been through a jackpot drought, l think this jackpot is circling for a landing.
Hmm interesting...I’ve had fortune cookies give me a set of random numbers but never a specific Powerball or Megaball number.
Fortune cookie
Lucky lotto numbers:
QP
They ones I have seen only give 6 numbers, not necessarily the Powerball or Mega number.
You make the call!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lnz1PnHGso
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but it totally crazy to publicize the identity of the winners of large jackpots.
In Australia, winners have the right to remain anonymous, the vady majority choose to do at.
You got your wish and San Diego won the whole thing! A secondary prize won in California too.
Mr tipton is alive and well!#But i here he is a fortune cookie now though!!
Congrats! Now he is going to have strangers and family coming out of the wood works. The asian standing next to him is obviously related to his wife's side because she is viet. Now his wife's side is going to ask for money and probably people from vietnam. I haven't seen a fortune cookie with lotto numbers on the back for awhile but once I do I'll save it to play.
I'm so very happy that man won the lottery...he's the kind of person I really love to see win...a down to earth good man with a good heart...he said in the video he told God if he won he would donate to the 3 charities
he named & he said you can't lie to him....he got that right!
I hope and pray nobody takes advantage of him and he can keep his wits about him to make all of the right decisions and he did say his wife was a CPA so maybe she will know how to manage the money but he still needs a financial adviser but then again I have heard of them taking advantage of lottery winners too.
In a way I wish NC winners could remain anonymous but then we couldn't read about them winning!
I wish him the very best of luck and to those who think he's old I sure don't not in his 60's for goodness sakes people live these days till their 80's at least if they take care of themselves.
A man here in my city was the first mega millions winnner in NC and he won at the age of 82 and is still living and still happy and didn't get carried away with his winning...he did all the right things though..didn't come forward until he got all of his ducks in a row and bought an RV and left for Arizona to visit relatives right after the got the money which was a very smart thing to do.
Here's his story...I knew his sister and she told me he won before he came forward & I thought she was joking but she convinced me she was not & made me promise not to tell and I didn't.
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/217158
I always heard if you won the lottery playing fortune cookie numbers, you would win again thirty minutes later.
Wait...maybe it was something else.