RALEIGH – Christopher Baker of Leesburg, Ala. could hardly believe his luck when he found out that he won a $100,000 Powerball prize.
“It was definitely a shocker,” he said.
Baker bought his lucky $3 Quick Pick ticket for Saturday’s drawing from Jack B Quick on Old N.C. 10 in Hickory. He said he has been in North Carolina recently for work.
He matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. Because he bought a Power Play ticket, his prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X multiplier hit.
“I just kept looking at it to make sure I was reading it right,” he laughed. “I told my family but they didn’t believe me either.”
He arrived at lottery headquarters on Wednesday to claim his winnings and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $71,501.
Baker plans to save his winnings to buy a house in the future.