What would you do if you found $20 just chilling on the ground? I know I would go wide-eyed and then look around for the bill’s owner, praying I don’t find them (but absolutely prepared to fork it over if I did).
Some may pocket the money, while others might leave it where it is. One North Carolina man chose a different option, and went home a millionaire.
This man is the luckiest man on the planet
Jerry Hicks is officially a millionaire thanks to a random $20 he found on the ground. Hailing from Banner Elk, North Carolina, Jerry — a master carpenter — was outside a convenience store when he spotted the bill.
He gave an interview after his win
“I found $20 in the parking lot outside the Speedway,” he explained in a press release from NC Education Lottery. “I used that to buy the ticket.”
Please remind me to always use money I find to buy lottery tickets.
He purchased a scratcher.
Jerry, who is a man of immaculate taste, decided to spend the $20 on the Extreme Scratch scratch-off ticket. Scratch-offs are by far the most fun kind of ticket, so I support this move wholeheartedly. Who doesn’t want to play a little game that could change your life forever?
However, he almost didn’t go for that scratcher
“They actually didn’t have the ticket I was looking for so I bought that one instead,” Jerry said. The universe truly aligned perfectly for Jerry to win that cool $1 million, huh?
So, what’s he going to do with the money?
When asked about the first thing he intended to do with his winnings, Jerry said: “We are going to head straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they’ve got.”
A man who knows what he wants!
He didn’t quite take home $1 million, of course
Jerry was given two options at the NC Education Lottery headquarters: take an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years, or a lump sum of $600,000. Jerry chose the lump sum — which is the correct choice — and, after taxes, took home $429,007. I know that’s a lot of money, but man…that’s still a bummer.
ALWAYS take the lump sum
So, as I said, the lump sum option is always the best in terms of getting the bang for your buck. A payout of $50k/year may sound great, but who knows how much $50k will actually be worth in 20 years? Inflation is a fickle thing.
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Jerry has more plans for the money
In addition to a big meal at Golden Corral, Jerry said he intends to retire from being a carpenter. He worked as one for 56 years and wants to spend his time resting and using his winnings to help out his children.
Congrats to the luckiest man in the world
I am SO happy for him and not at all jealous, in case you were wondering. And listen, as envious as I am, I do think how neat it is that the stars aligned so neatly in Jerry’s favor. It sounds like he deserves it!
What would your first purchase be?
This is one of my favorite questions to ask other people: if you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy the day you got your winnings?
We’re talking something you walk into a store and purchase, so no investments. Me? I’d go clean out an Apple store. What about you?