A grandfather to 22 in North Carolina already has big plans after getting lucky with a scratch-off lottery ticket.
Jesse Johnson of Snow Hill paid $30 when he picked up a MAX-A-MILLION ticket from a convenience store in Kinston, N.C., according to a statement from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
After revealing the prize, he said that he was so shocked that he “just fell down beside [his] truck.”
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Johnson revealed one of the ticket’s 25 $1 million top prizes, becoming the ninth person to win big on the game since it debuted in March 2025.
His first reaction was shock.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he told lottery officials, adding that he tried to call his wife with the news but “couldn’t really talk over the phone I was so excited.”
After his win, Johnson had to make a difficult choice. According to lottery officials, he could either accept the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over the next 20 years or take a $600,000 cash out on the spot.
He chose the latter, leaving the office with a grand total of $432,068 after paying taxes.
The generous winner has plans for his prize: He’ll “help take care of his 22 grandchildren,” per the news release.
“I guess I was just in the right place at the right time,” Johnson added about the win.