NC man wins $1 million in lottery twice in one year

Mar 9, 2021, 3:38 pm (8 comments)

North Carolina Lottery

Double-lucky player claims he won on the same number twice

By Kate Northrop

Most players can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to win a million dollars, but one North Carolina man is lucky enough to have experienced the exciting feeling twice after winning two $1 million prizes in the span of one year.

Willard Weber's lucky streak is running a little bit longer after he won not one, but two prizes worth $1 million within one year. The last time the Littleton resident picked up a winning ticket was just back in August 2020.

"I never thought it would ever happen to me," the double-lucky winner told the North Carolina Lottery. "But it did. I'm very happy."

Last August, Weber and his coworker, Dean Glover of Littleton, jointly purchased a top prize-winning "Ruby Red 7's" scratch-off ticket from Minit Chek convenience store on West Main Street in Littleton and split a $4 million prize. After taxes were withheld from the cash prize they opted for, they each received $1.2 million.

With the prize money, Weber said that his main goal was to purchase an antique convertible car. The rest would go in the bank.

Not even a full year later, the Lottery checked back in with Weber about his second prize, in addition to whether he accomplished his original goal.

"I did buy that Cadillac El Dorado," he confirmed in a press release.

Last week, Weber headed to the Information Grocery convenience store on U.S. 158 in Halifax and picked out a scratch-off from the $30 "Millionaire Maker" game, which just launched at the beginning of the month. However, he didn't fully realize it was a huge winner until he had a store clerk double check it.

"I didn't even know I won," he recalled. "I missed the number, so I didn't see it when I scratched it off. That's the second time. I didn't see it the first time either."

"I was scanning all my old tickets, and one of them said I had to take it to Lottery headquarters," Weber explained. When he asked a cashier to take a look at the ticket as a precaution, he confirmed some rather remarkable news.

"That's when we noticed 23 matched," Weber said. "I couldn't believe it was the exact same number I hit on last time, either."

Again faced with the decision to take the top prize either as an annuity or a lump sum, Weber chose the cash payout once more and walked away with $424,509 after federal and state taxes were withheld.

Since he already has an antique convertible car in his possession thanks to his first big win, the second prize is going straight into savings, he said.

According to the Lottery, the "Millionaire Maker" game is the first scratch-off to offer 30 $1 million prizes. Although this is Weber's second big win, he is the very first player to win one of those top prizes of $1 million.

Now, 29 top prizes remain in the game, along with nine out of ten second prizes of $100,000 and 19 out of 20 third prizes of $20,000.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

s5thomps's avatars5thomps

What are the Odds? Lightning Struck Twice in on year! Congrats! Party

I guess 23 is his new lucky number!

weshar75's avatarweshar75

Two nice prizes in a years time that has to be something he crossed off on his bucket list.  Just too Sweet!-weshar75

US Flag

Bleudog101

Man oh man, twice as nice!   Next state over but quite a long ride for me to play!

EdG1955

The taxes on the two prizes are a bit odd.  For the first one, last year for $2 million, the tax withheld was 40%.  The second one, this year for $1 million, the tax withheld was 57.5%.

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats to him, go for 3 Cool

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by EdG1955 on Mar 9, 2021

The taxes on the two prizes are a bit odd.  For the first one, last year for $2 million, the tax withheld was 40%.  The second one, this year for $1 million, the tax withheld was 57.5%.

I was wondering about that too.

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by EdG1955 on Mar 9, 2021

The taxes on the two prizes are a bit odd.  For the first one, last year for $2 million, the tax withheld was 40%.  The second one, this year for $1 million, the tax withheld was 57.5%.

Well this Lottery headquarters explained breakdown was just odd, because they didn't tell us what the lump sum was for each of those jackpot wins chosen! Ugh, only the end amount was mentioned to us readers. So, this two-time winner actually gets to keep less than amounts mentioned in the story, because he still owes the remainder of the federal income taxes due on this year's Federal income tax form (and next year's income tax form for the jackpot won this year). Both years claims, the lottery headquarters only sent 24% Federal income taxes to the federal government on this winners behalf.  That's why winners should never tithe or start gifting money based on amount written on the check from Lottery headquarters!  It's sad to read of winners who later found out that no accountant they consulted with prior to claiming that win mentioned probably the most important thing: that since the Lottery headquarters only takes out the state income tax, plus too low 24% federal income tax, they still owed 'something-teen percent' in remaining Federal income taxes to the Federal government by April 15th the following year.  A big problem if they gave that outstanding tax bill money away (or invested it since they will have to pay high short-term capital gains taxes to get access to the money).

Shocked

Anyhow, congratulations to this super lucky guy and his lucky friend.

Cheers

GiveFive's avatarGiveFive

Quote: Originally posted by EdG1955 on Mar 9, 2021

The taxes on the two prizes are a bit odd.  For the first one, last year for $2 million, the tax withheld was 40%.  The second one, this year for $1 million, the tax withheld was 57.5%.

I thought it was weird too. 

He put the second prize "straight into savings"... Although I don't think he should have "invested" (and I'm using the term invested very loosely)  his second win in the stock market, putting it in a savings account won't do much for him.  Not these days.  Interest rates are so low, you can't make very much interest  on your money by putting it into a savings account.  But I don't what else he could do with it and sleep well at night. G5

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