North Carolina Man Was 'Half Asleep' When He Scored 'Epic' Lottery Jackpot

An early start to one North Carolina man's day ultimately led to him scoring a huge jackpot prize .

Andrzej Kielbon , of Matthews, had plans to go to a car repair shop on Thursday (August 22) when he decided to try his chance with a lottery ticket before heading out, something he said he wouldn't have done had he not woken up earlier than he needed to, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery .

"I was getting ready to go to the dealership," he said. "I woke up a little too early. I would've never played if I didn't get up early."

He purchased a $2 ticket for the Bison Bonanza digital instant game and ended up beating the 1 in 15.5 million odds to score the "Epic jackpot" of $379,747.

"I just play for fun," he said. "I didn't think it was real because I was still half asleep."

Kielbon claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Friday (August 23), taking home a total of $271,520 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, the Mecklenburg County man plans to use his new winnings to buy an electric vehicle to replace his old car as well as take a trip to Hawaii.