
A North Carolina carpenter’s $20 parking lot find turns into a million-dollar windfall, proving that sometimes, Lady Luck has a twisted sense of humor.
At a Glance
- Jerry Hicks of Banner Elk, NC, won $1 million from a scratch-off ticket bought with a found $20 bill
- The winning ticket was his second choice after his preferred ticket was unavailable
- Hicks opted for a lump sum payout, receiving $429,007 after taxes
- He plans to retire after 56 years as a carpenter and help his children
From Parking Lot Luck to Millionaire Status
In a twist of fate that would make even the most jaded cynic raise an eyebrow, Jerry Hicks of Banner Elk, North Carolina, turned a discarded Andrew Jackson into a cool million bucks. It’s the kind of story that makes you want to scour every parking lot in America, doesn’t it? But before you quit your day job to become a full-time pavement prospector, let’s break down this ridiculous chain of events.
Hicks, a 56-year veteran of the carpentry trade, stumbled upon a $20 bill outside a Speedway convenience store in Boone. Now, most of us would’ve pocketed that Andrew Jackson and called it a day. But not our man Jerry. No, he decided to parlay that found money into a $25 Extreme Cash scratch-off ticket. And wouldn’t you know it, the ticket he initially wanted wasn’t available. So, he settled for his second choice – a decision that would change his life forever.
When Lady Luck Winks, You Better Wink Back
Now, let’s talk about the odds for a second. The chance of winning the $1 million prize in the Extreme Cash game is a measly 1 in 2,017,650. To put that in perspective, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning while riding a unicycle and juggling chainsaws. Okay, I made that up, but you get the point. It’s rare. Really rare.
“I found $20 in the parking lot outside the Speedway,” Hicks told lottery officials. “They actually didn’t have the ticket I was looking for, so I bought that one instead.”
When Hicks claimed his prize at the North Carolina lottery headquarters on October 25, he had a choice to make: take the full $1 million as an annuity paid over 20 years, or grab a lump sum of $600,000. Being a practical man (or perhaps just really excited to get his hands on that cash), Hicks opted for the lump sum. After Uncle Sam took his cut, our lucky carpenter walked away with $429,007. Not too shabby for a $20 investment, eh?
Retirement Plans and… Golden Corral?
So, what does a newly minted millionaire do with his windfall? If you’re Jerry Hicks, you make the most sensible decision possible: you head straight to the all-you-can-eat buffet at Golden Corral. I kid you not, folks. This man won a million dollars, and his first thought was, “I’m gonna eat everything they’ve got.”
“We are going to head straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they’ve got.” – Jerry Hicks
But fear not, fiscal conservatives. Hicks isn’t blowing all his cash on endless plates of mediocre roast beef. He’s planning to retire after an astounding 56 years as a carpenter (because apparently, Social Security is just a myth these days) and help out his children. It’s a heartwarming end to a story that started with loose change in a parking lot.
Now, before you start scouring every inch of asphalt in North Carolina, remember that Hicks’ story is the exception, not the rule. The lottery is still a tax on people who are bad at math. But in a world where inflation is eating away at our savings faster than Jerry at a Golden Corral buffet, who can blame a guy for dreaming?