When a Florida resident got his takeout order from a Chinese restaurant recently, he had no idea the fortune cookie inside the bag was about to change his life.
Ernesto Sorzano is in the process of relocating to Huntersville, North Carolina, and used the lucky numbers from the cookie to buy a North Carolina Powerball lottery ticket, according to WBALTV.
“His Fortune cookie numbers matched four of the white balls and the Powerball in Saturday’s drawing, winning him $50,000,” the NC Education Lottery’s website read.
Because Sorzano bought a $3 Power Play ticket, the prize increased ten times to $500,000 when the ten times multiplier was drawn.
“That was a good investment,” he said.
The Estero, Florida, resident claimed his prize at the lottery’s headquarters in Raleigh on Monday and ended up taking home $353,751 after federal and state tax withholdings.
Sorzano is moving to Huntersville and plans to buy a house with the money.
“Unbelievable. I’m just super happy that my dreams came true,” said Sorzano, who bought the ticket at the 7-Eleven store on Sam Furr Road in Huntersville.
In January, a nurse in Durham, North Carolina, won $1 million in the state’s Education Lottery, Breitbart News reported.
Terri Watkins said she thought someone was playing a trick on her when she got the call about her winnings.
“I thought that it was not real, couldn’t be real. It’s still something that I really don’t believe, I’m still in some shock here,” she explained.
The nurse works in a COVID unit at a long-term care facility where she has witnessed some hard things. However, Watkins is grateful for the money.
“I had been praying for something to help me with this situation. It really is a great thing. I’m very blessed,” she commented, adding that she will take some time to decide what to do with the winnings.
“I would love a new home, but I’ve just got to take time and put it in the right place,” Watkins concluded.
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