KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Mychael Patterson, of Kannapolis, was having breakfast when he learned his $2 Lucky for Life lottery ticket beat odds of 1 in 1.8 million to win $25,000 a year for life.
The day before, Patterson had stopped at Sandy Ridge Service LLC, his usual stop for lottery tickets, and purchased a few North Carolina Education Lottery Quick Pick tickets.
[ ‘I’m a very lucky man': Cancer survivor, wife wins $250,000 lottery in Catawba Co. ]
“When I scanned it, it said take it to the lottery headquarters,” Patterson said in a news release. “And I said, ‘Well it’s more than $100,000!’ So I went to the website and pulled up the numbers and looked at them several times.
“As matter of fact, I looked at them last night to make sure they hadn’t changed! It was pretty good. I’m still in awe about it,” he said.
Patterson, who works as a truck driver, claimed his prize Thursday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh.
Winners are guaranteed $25,000 every year for life or they can choose to take a lump sum of $390,000.
Patterson chose the lump sum, and after federal and state tax withholdings he took home $275,929.
[ South Carolina woman wins $250,000 in state lottery ]
“With the amount of money I won, I can prepare to retire,” said Patterson.
“I’m still gonna work as long as I feel like working. I’ll share some of it around to different people because I feel good about it and I’m gonna make them feel good, too.”
Patterson won the contest’s second-place prize. The top prize is $1,000 a day for life.