It was “phenomenal timing” for a man in North Carolina to win a huge lottery jackpot just as he was looking for a new home.
A Raleigh man named Andrew Fidler bought a $3 Powerball ticket online for the drawing on Monday, September 16, using numbers that he said had brought him happiness in the past.
According to a press statement from the NC Education Lottery, the numbers worked their magic again when he matched four of the white balls called during the drawing and the red Powerball to win $50,000. The 5x multiplier then made the prize worth $250,000.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It was definitely awesome.”
Fidler told lottery officials that he had barely slept before he woke up in the middle of the night and checked his phone. That’s when he realized he had won a lot of money.
“I was just feeling extremely lucky,” he said. “I’m very exhausted but also extremely excited.”
Fidler claimed his win at the lottery’s headquarters on Tuesday, September 17. He took home a huge $178,751 after all the state and federal taxes were taken out. Lottery worker says the win comes at a great time because he is looking for a new house.
“Today is just perfect,” he said. “We are currently looking at houses right now.”