David Nielsen of Elkin beat the odds of 1 in 913,129 to win a $100,000 prize in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing.
“I was really surprised,” Nielsen said. “I just saw this big number and went, ‘Oh my word.’”
He claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he received $69,257. He plans to use some of the money to pay bills.
He bought the $3 Power Play ticket at the Four Brothers Food Store on N.C. 67 in Jonesville. The numbers matched four white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000. The prize doubled when the 2X multiplier was drawn for Power Play tickets.
Ticket sales from games like Powerball made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million dollars for the state last year. For details on how more than $30.6 million in lottery funds has made a difference in Surry County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.