Grandfather scores ‘unreal’ $1 million lottery win after ‘persistence paid off’ in NC
A grandfather kept playing the lottery — then his “persistence paid off” with a $1 million win.
“This type of thing just doesn’t happen to me,” prize winner Eddie Graham told the North Carolina Education Lottery. “It couldn’t have come at a better time though.”
Now, Graham hopes to spend some of his jackpot prize on family members.
“I can use this to take care of my daughter and granddaughter,” the Charlotte-area winner told lottery officials Feb. 7 in a news release.
Graham scored the big prize in the 200X The Cash game’s second-chance drawing. He had spent years entering similar drawings, and this time his ticket was chosen from more than 1.6 million entries.
“This is unreal,” Graham said. “I’m still processing it.”
Graham lives in Belmont, a roughly 15-mile drive west from uptown Charlotte. He chose to take his prize as a lump sum of $600,000, which came out to $430,500 after taxes.
In addition to helping his family, Graham hopes to pay bills and get a used truck. He’s also considering buying a new house.
It’s not the first time a lucky lottery player’s win took a moment to sink in. Another North Carolina winner couldn’t help but stare at his prize after he hit the jackpot, McClatchy News reported earlier in February.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 6:49 AM with the headline "Grandfather scores ‘unreal’ $1 million lottery win after ‘persistence paid off’ in NC."
