All news

"Wild hair" wins North Carolina man $10 million lottery prize

A six-sense led the North Carolina Lottery player to a large windfall.

Sean McIntosh of Maiden, North Carolina, winner of the $10 Million Spectacular.
Sean McIntosh of Maiden, North Carolina, winner of the $10 Million Spectacular. Photograph credit to the North Carolina Lottery.
Samantha Herscher

A lucky hunch paid off big time for Sean McIntosh of Maiden, North Carolina. A spontaneous decision to buy a $50 scratch-off ticket led him to a life-changing $10 million prize.

McIntosh laughed when he recalled this intuition to the North Carolina Lottery:

Sometimes I get a wild hair, and I listen to it.

He purchased the winning $10 Million Spectacular ticket from Jones Exxon Inc. on N.C. 16 South in Stanley, marking his first time trying a $50 scratch-off:

I actually just won $100 on a $5 ticket earlier, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

McIntosh described the experience as surreal:

Everything's been a blur since then. You buy a ticket, but you never really think something like this will happen.

Faced with the choice between a $500,000 annual annuity for 20 years or a lump sum of $6 million, McIntosh opted for the latter. After taxes, he took home a cool $4,290,014. His plans for the windfall? Investing and securing his children's future.

​There are still plenty of chances to win big with the $10 Million Spectacular game. Here are the remaining prizes:

Prize Amount Total Prizes Remaining Prizes
$10,000,000 5 4
$1,000,000 20 15
$100,000 20 12
$50,000 50 29
$5,000 139 91
$2,000 279 174
$500 184,568 115,013
$200 384,015 238,900
$150 1,085,194 674,550
$100 1,844,758 1,148,958
$50 1,736,454 1,085,212

How to play the $10 Million Spectacular:

Here's your chance to try the $10 Million Spectacular:

  • Match any of Your Numbers to any of the Winning Numbers, and you win the prize shown for that number.
  • Reveal a Moneybag symbol, and you win that prize instantly.
  • Reveal a 20X or 50X symbol, and multiply your prize by 20 or 50 times, respectively.
  • Reveal a $500 symbol, and win $500 instantly. Reveal a "Money" symbol, and win the prize shown for that bonus spot.

If you strike it lucky with the $10 Million Spectacular, you must claim your prize within 90 calendar days from the game's announced end date. For prizes over $500,000, you can choose to receive the prize as an annuity (paid out over time) or a lump sum (one-time payment). Remember, lottery winnings are taxable.

The North Carolina Lottery

For over a decade, the North Carolina Lottery has enriched lives across the state by funding education initiatives, offering exciting games, and operating with integrity to maximize revenue for designated educational programs. Guided by values of honesty and respect, they strive to be an industry leader in education funding, all while bringing joy and innovation to the state.

Comments

0
Loading comments

Related articles

The Chisholm Corner Sunoco on Central Freeway in Wichita Falls.
Playing with fire: Store manager's lottery scheme leads to charges

A store manager and employee face charges after allegedly stealing over $239,000 in lottery tickets.

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

The Missouri Lotto logo on a white background with confetti.
Missouri Lotto winner lands $6.3M after months of rollovers

For the first time since September, Missouri Lotto has a winner, with one lucky ticket winning the jackpot.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

The Winners Corner TX LLC store located in North Austin.
Texas Lottery tells $83.5 million jackpot winner they may never see it

The Lotto Texas jackpot winner who bought her ticket with Jackpocket says, “I’m being treated as the bad guy.”

Chris Imperiale profile pic

Chris Imperiale

The Pennsylvania Lottery logo over a green background with dollar bills.
Irish Luck? Two $1 million tickets sold in Pennsylvania on St. Patrick's Day

Two $1 million winning tickets were sold in Pennsylvania on the same lucky day.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

Recent articles

View All
The Chisholm Corner Sunoco on Central Freeway in Wichita Falls.
Playing with fire: Store manager's lottery scheme leads to charges

A store manager and employee face charges after allegedly stealing over $239,000 in lottery tickets.

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

The Missouri Lotto logo on a white background with confetti.
Missouri Lotto winner lands $6.3M after months of rollovers

For the first time since September, Missouri Lotto has a winner, with one lucky ticket winning the jackpot.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

A photo of a stock exchange board.
The $5 lottery ticket in an uncertain economy

Americans will pay more for lottery dreams just as economic forecasts turn gloomy. A good idea?

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

Nick Mosby during an interview with FOX45 News.
Nick Mosby lands lottery board seat despite tax woes, ethics violations

From unpaid taxes to questionable campaign filings, Mosby's history makes his new oversight role a head-scratcher.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold