Retired North Carolina Man Wins $344.6 Million In A Shocking Way: How Did He Do It?

Retired 66-year-old retailer Charles W. Jackson Jr. of Raleigh, North Carolina, is a new millionaire thanks to a very quirky suggestion.

When stepping forward to claim his gigantic prize at the North Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Raleigh on Tuesday, he told reporters that he based his winning numbers on a fortune cookie from a Vietnamese restaurant that was given to him by his 8-year-old granddaughter.

When recounting the experience, Jackson explained, "We always give her the fortune cookies. And I said, 'Save the fortune for me and I look at the numbers on the back, I might want to play them.'" He added of the winning numbers, "That's where it came from."

As reported by the Daily Mail, the North Carolina man initially believed his winnings only totaled $50,000. However, upon further examination of his ticket, he saw he, in fact, was the winner of much more.

“I said, ‘Dang, I got them all,'” he recounted at the news conference.

This reality was solidified once he found the jackpot amount on Google as Jackson does not watch the news. Upon realizing that his life would forever be changed, he told his wife, while still in shock, “You ain’t going to believe this – I got it all.”

The winning ticket was purchased at a grocery store called Carlie C’s in Hope Hills, which sits outside of Fayetteville. This marks the fifth time that a resident of the Tar Heel State has won a Powerball drawing.

The now-multimillionaire is hopeful that his new windfall doesn’t change him, saying, “I’m still going to wear my jeans – maybe newer ones.” As of the conference, he said he may use some of his winnings to take his wife to Vietnam or make donations to certain charities, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and the Wounded Warrior Project.