This Million Dollar North Carolina Lottery Winner Did Exactly What I Would Do

This million-dollar lottery winner did exactly what I would do if I won. Sharon Culpepper lives in Newport, North Carolina. She bought her $10 lucky multiplier mania ticket from the Newport BP according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.

According to a press release from the North Carolina Education Lottery, “I (Sharon) jumped out of my car and ran into my house screaming at the top of my lungs,” she laughed. “Then I just dropped to my knees and hit the floor.” Now I'm not sure if Sharon hit her knees and thanked Jesus for her newfound wealth. But I would for sure have made that exact trajectory if I won.

She goes on to say she had to prove to her family that she actually won.  Apparently, Sharon is quite the prankster. But this is indeed the real deal. The Newport, North Carolina picked up her prize on Wednesday. And she had a couple of choices on how to get her million-dollar prize. This is from the NCEL press release, "She could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump sum of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $429,003." That is less than half her prize but guess what, it is still $429,003 more than she had before. That is enough money to do a lot of good in your life.

Sharon says she hopes to purchase a new car, and maybe take a cruise to the Caribbean. She also remarks that she will do some home repairs. Not only is this great for Sharon but great for Carteret County as well. It has received over 14 million in grants from the North Carolina Education Lottery. This million-dollar North Carolina Lottery winner did exactly what I would do.

There are some states that are luckier than others. There is no doubt about it. North Carolina made the list of 15 lucky states in the United States, according to OLBG. Everyone has fantasized about winning the lottery, whether it's the Mega Millions or the Powerball. Whether you're planning a lavish vacation, buying a house, treating a loved one, giving to charity, or all of the above, when we buy a ticket we always have a little bit of hope and our imaginations go wild when we hear about the unclaimed winning ticket...

When it comes to winning big on the lottery, which states are the luckiest? To determine where in America has the greatest likelihood of winning the big bucks, OLBG analyzed all lottery winners in the U.S. with a jackpot of $300 million or more. You can see the top 15 states below.

California was ranked 12th luckiest state despite having the highest number of big lottery winners, primarily because the state has such a large population that there are very few lottery winners, and the average winning ticket for a California winner is only $190.5 million.

North Carolina has won a whopping $1.1 billion between both lottery winners, making its average winning ticket $550 million, the highest in the country. As a result of its higher population, North Carolina didn't quite capture the title by itself, with a lower percentage of its population winning than New Hampshire.

In terms of lottery jackpot winners, New Hampshire and North Carolina share the gold for the luckiest states. Residents in New Hampshire have won a total of $693.7 million, which is an average of $346.85 million per winning ticket. As one of the states with the highest percentage of people who have won over $300 million, New Hampshire has the third smallest population.