Michael Buck told North Carolina Education Lottery officials that a store employee convinced him to buy a ticket for the record $2.04 billion Powerball drawing.
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"The girl at the pharmacy told me they sold Powerball tickets at customer service," NC Education Lottery quoted the 62-year-old as saying. "I told her, 'If I win, I'll come back and buy you a car.'"
Buck matched the numbers on four white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000 on his Power Play ticket, and it doubled to $100,000 with the 2X Power Play multiplier, according to NC Education Lottery.
Buck's $3 investment in a Quick Pick ticket earned him $71,017 after federal and state taxes.
Buck works as a solutions architect, according to lottery officials. He said he plans to use a large portion of the money to boost his retirement.
Buck told lottery officials he usually only plays when the jackpot goes over $500 million, and he said he didn't know how to react when he realized he had won.
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"I kind of just walked around the house a little bit. I was shaking," Buck said.
As for the pharmacist's new car? Buck told lottery officials, "I didn't hit the jackpot so I can't buy her a car, but I'll definitely bring her something."
The-CNN-Wire
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