Grocery Store Employee Won Over $1 Million From $20 Scratch Ticket He Bought At Work

Jul 07, 2023 by apost team

Playing the lottery has gained traction over the years in America. Although the chances of winning are slim — way slimmer than being struck by lightning or attacked by a shark or a bear at a US National park — thousands of Americans still try their luck, hoping to win someday. The total sales of tickets for state lotteries in 2017 was an estimated $71 billion. In 2019, that number grew to over $91 billion. 

Meanwhile, a bigger problem arises from managing the funds even after winning. 70% of those who win the lottery become broke or even go bankrupt in a few years. The big lottery companies include Powerball and Mega Millions, although there are other multi-state lottery companies as well. 

Meanwhile, Powerball says on its website that the "odds of winning are 1 in 292 million." Nevertheless, there have been a few success stories. A number of people have won millions and billions by drawing lucky numbers. The biggest draw to date stands at $2.04 billion won by a single person in California. The winner, Edwin Castro, won the prize in November 2022 and instead opted for a lump sum totaling $997.6 million before taxes. 

Although he asked that his biographical information be kept a secret, California laws allowed his name to be disclosed. Castro's story and that of others before him have inspired many to keep playing despite losing money over the years on tickets. 

Luck smiled on another man in North Carolina in June 2023 when he won $1.2 million. Hyeon Jung bought the scratch-off ticket at his workplace and claimed his prize on June 17, 2023. Continue reading for details. 

The North Carolina resident, Hyeon Jung, joined the list of lottery winners in June 2023 when he won $2 million in the lottery. Jung bought a scratch-off ticket worth $20 to try his luck and found out that luck was with him that day. The North Carolina Lottery disclosed that the lucky winner works at the Green Street Grocery on East Green Drive in High Point, where he bought the lucky 100x The Cash Ticket. 

Jung returned to the store on Friday to claim his $1.2 million prize on June 17, 2023. He was told to choose between receiving the prize as an annuity of $100,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $1.2 million. However, Jung chose the lump-sum amount of $1.2 million. The High Point employee had $855,006 left after paying the required state and federal tax withholdings. 

All lottery winners are required to pay a 25% tax to the IRS on their winnings. Some states also claim taxes, including New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Montana, North Carolina and Idaho, each with different rates. Whatever is left of the prize money will be taxed since the government considers lottery prize earnings as ordinary taxable income. 

A few followers of the NCL commented on the win. One person thought Jung ought to be ineligible. They wrote: "He should've been immediately disqualified. (Definitely) something fishy about this." 

Another follower commented: "Americans waste over $100 billion a year on gambling addiction’s (sic). Bergeron says the first step to getting out of this cycle is to acknowledge the issue and ensure you have systems in place to prevent you from going back."

However, others thought it was amazing. "Congratulations Hyeon Jung. Such an amazing win! Enjoy," someone wrote. 

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What do you think of Hyeon Jung's story? Do you think he was eligible to play? Would you have chosen the lump sum or the annuity payments? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family members.