A dump truck driver from North Carolina, US became an instant millionaire after he could not remember if he bought a lottery ticket earlier. — Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — A man from Fayetteville in North Carolina, US can thank his forgetfulness for netting him a double lottery win.
Dump truck driver Scotty Thomas could not remember if he had bought a US$2 (RM8.45) ticket for the Lucky for Life draw, so he went ahead and filled it out again and purchased another one, CBS17 reported.
THe 49-year-old’s decision proved to be a wise one as he ended up winning US$25,000 (RM105,600) a year for life.
“When I realised I won, I had to lay down on the floor because I really just couldn’t believe it,” Thomas reportedly said.
“It’s just a blessing.”
When he collected his winnings, he opted to take two lump sums of US$390,000 (RM1.65 million) each — a total of US$780,000 (RM3.29 million) — which worked out to about US$550,000 (RM2.32 million) after federal and state tax withholdings.
Thomas said he wants to invest in his business, pay bills, help his family and perhaps purchase a house.