Grandpa of 22 grandkids was scratching a $30 lottery ticket in a parking lot — then collapsed beside his truck in disbelief
A quiet morning turned unforgettable for a Greene County grandfather when a simple scratch-off revealed the unimaginable. The man, Jesse Johnson, who has 22 grandchildren, was standing near his pickup in a parking lot, checking a $30 lottery ticket, when the news hit him all at once. His legs gave way, and he dropped beside the truck, overwhelmed by what he saw. As reported by the North Carolina Education Lottery, the moment happened on January 7, 2026, and ended with the grandfather realizing his life had changed forever.
The old man, from Snow Hill, bought the ticket at a small convenience store in Kinston before scratching it that morning. When the symbols revealed the top prize, his body reacted before his mind could catch up. He had won $1 million. “I just fell down beside my truck,” he said later, still sounding amazed. "I couldn’t believe it," he told the outlet. Johnson said he tried to call his wife right away, but the excitement made it hard to speak. “I couldn’t really talk over the phone, I was so excited,” he shared, explaining how shocked and happy he felt in that moment.
Johnson went to the lottery headquarters the same day to claim his prize. There, he had to choose how to receive the money. One option was $50,000 a year for 20 years, while the other was a one-time payment of $600,000. He chose the lump sum. After state and federal taxes were taken out, he brought home $432,068. Looking back, Johnson kept his view simple and humble. “I guess I was just in the right place at the right time,” he said. He plans to use the money to help care for his 22 grandchildren. Lottery officials said several top prizes from the MAX-A-MILLION game are still unclaimed, meaning more stories like Johnson’s could soon follow.
While luck comes unexpectedly for some, others rely on determination to reach their goals. In another story, a grandfather used his own strategy to secure a lottery win. A Maryland man named John Lang proved that patience and planning can pay off when he won $50,000 after returning to the lottery following a one-month break. Lang bought a Bonus Match 5 ticket at a liquor store in Baltimore County and checked his numbers the next day. When he asked the clerk to scan the ticket, he was stunned by the response. “Mr. John, you just won $50,000,” he was told. All five numbers on his ticket matched. The win was not random. Lang said he always chooses numbers based on his grandchildren’s ages. As they grew older, he adjusted the numbers to match their current ages, keeping his system updated. This careful method finally worked in his favor. The retired grandfather said the money meant a great deal to him. He planned to use part of the winnings to fix up his home and save the rest.
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