Kenneth Larsen of Durham said he made a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy a scratch-off and that choice led to a $1 million win.
“I really just decided to get it on a whim,” Larsen said. “I only play once in a blue moon.”
Larsen, 71, bought his lucky $30 Millionaire Maker ticket from the Quality Mart on Presidential Drive in Durham.
“I stared at it for about a half hour in disbelief,” Larsen said. “It was pretty shocking to say the least.”
Larsen said he is planning to retire at the end of this year and this win will go a long way toward that goal.
“It’s going to help us out a whole lot,” he said, “to make our retirement more enjoyable.”
When Larsen arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to collect his prize, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $426,069.
“I can’t even explain how crazy this is,” Larsen said.
He said he wants to use his winnings to pay some bills and give some back to several charities.
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