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A man in North Carolina had a hunch about a lottery ticket and followed his instincts, ultimately winning a massive prize of $100,000.
"For some reason the ticket was just calling to me," said Nawaz Haque, of Albemarle.
Haque's feeling led him to the Andy's Mart on West Church Street in Richfield, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. The store completed a full-circle moment, as he told lottery officials he only chose that store because he often went there in high school and wanted to see if he knew anyone working there. He ended up purchasing a $30 Millionaire Maker scratch-off ticket, a game he rarely plays, after having a conversation with the store clerk.
"I asked him what number it was and he said three," he recalled. "Three is my lucky number so I bought it."
After he scratched the ticket and revealed the massive prize, he couldn't believe his luck. He started doing what anyone who just won $100,000 would do — jumping around in excitement.
"I started jumping when I saw I won," he said. "It was just pure adrenaline at that point."
Haque claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Friday (May 6), taking home a grand total of $71,019 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, he told lottery officials he hopes to invest a portion of the prize.