$344.6 Million Winner

Twice a week for more than two years, Charles W. Jackson Jr. played Powerball and Mega Millions with the same numbers in hopes of winning it big. Little did he know a routine stop Friday at the Carlie C’s IGA on North Main Street in Hope Mills, N.C., would make his dream come true. His life will change forever.

WRAL in Raleigh reports Jackson stepped forward at North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters Tuesday to claim last weekend’s $344.6 million jackpot.

The retired North Carolina man says he based his Powerball guess on a fortune cookie he got from his granddaughter. Now, he has a fortune to celebrate.

Jackson chose the $223 million lump sum payment and said he would donate some of it to several charities and give $1 million to his brother to make good on a deal they made.

Jackson initially thought he had won just $50,000 and was heading to Raleigh to collect, but looked again and saw he’d won a lot more. He also said he had to search for the jackpot amount on Google because he doesn’t watch television news.