Two winners; same city, same scratch off, same lump sum lottery payout.
Technically Champakbhai Patel is from the nearby town of Salisbury, but either way he’s now the latest winner of an N.C. Education Lottery scratch off called Ultimate Millions, according to The Charlotte Observer. Patel won himself a cool $1 million prize and elected to take the lump sum lottery payout instead of a lottery annuity settlement.
“It feels very good,” Patel said. “I’m happy.”
Patel bought the $30 ticket at the convenience store he conveniently owns, Danny’s Place. He could have selected to take his prize in the form of annual payments, similar to how the Mega Millions is paid out in 30 annual payments, but instead opted for the lump sum versus annuity. By doing so he is set to receive $600,000 before taxes and about $415,000 after as the government withholds around 25% of lottery winnings.
Patel’s victory is actually the second in this area this week. Tyrone Heller of Lincolnton bought the same kind of scratch off, an Ultimate Millions, at Country Corner Foodmart. While he doesn’t own the place, he does work there. According to a co-worker, Debra Tablock, he plans to continue working at his place of employment, like about half (48%) of all lottery winners do.
Heller also chose the lump sum lottery payout and told lottery officials he plans to use the money to buy a house and save for his daughters college fund. He was in shock when he first saw the “$1MIL” prize amount,
“Then it kind of sunk in. Did I win $1 million?” Heller said.
There won’t be any intra-work animosity either. Tablock couldn’t be happier Heller was the one to win big.
“He?s a good guy,” Tablock said. “We?re all thrilled to death for him.”
The Ultimate Millions debuted September 1 and is the first scratch off to cost $30. The odds of winning the $1 million prize are reportedly 1 in 886,667. Clearly the greater Charlotte-area didn’t get that memo.
