NC man saw lottery ticket with the word ‘Fortune.’ He bought one and hit the jackpot.
Carvent Webb was all set to retire this Sunday from his job restoring historic homes for Winston-Salem-based contractor Salem Heritage.
And that’s before what happened to him on a recent stop at his favorite 7-Eleven, the 70-year-old Charlottean said Tuesday, after N.C. lottery officials announced that he’d won $3 million on a Fabulous Fortune scratch-off ticket.
Webb told The Charlotte Observer he enjoys buying an occasional lottery ticket or two at the 7-Eleven on Mallard Creek Road.
He tries various games, he said, and nothing in particular prompted him to plunk down $30 for a Fabulous Fortune scratch-off ticket there. He saw the name “Fortune” and decided to buy a couple.
One of the tickets scored him $60. That’s the next-to-lowest amount of cash a player can win in the game, according to the Fabulous Fortune page on NCLottery.com.
“I put $30 in my pocket and bought another one,” he said.
That ticket hit the jackpot. He beat odds of 1 in 4.14 million, according to the Fabulous Fortune page.
Six $3-million jackpots were available when the game started July 1, according to the lottery. After Webb’s big win, two remain.
Webb claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday, according to a lottery news release Tuesday.
He had the choice of a $150,000 annuity over 20 years and a $1.8 million lump sum. He chose the lump sum and took home $1.27 million after taxes, according to the release.
Webb said he first intends to help pay for his granddaughter’s college education. She has two more years of high school, he said.
“I want to take care of my granddaughter,” he said. “I want to make sure she’s good.”
He has three sons and wants to ensure that everybody in his family will be taken care of, he said.
Webb’s also a Mason, and he intends to give to his Masonic lodge. And he will put some of his winnings into an investment trust fund, he said.
But family comes first, he said.
“It’s kind of a good feeling to know your family will be safe,” Webb said. “So I’m really, really, really blessed.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "NC man saw lottery ticket with the word ‘Fortune.’ He bought one and hit the jackpot.."