A North Carolina woman hit a $1 million winner on a scratch-off ticket in August, and two months later in October, got twice as lucky with a $2 million prize, winning a total of $3 million. Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is $1.35B.
Lightning strikes twice: Woman wins $1M and $2M jackpots
It is often said that you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than you do of winning the lottery. If that’s true, then lightning has struck twice for a North Carolina woman who has now won a combined $3 million.
The identity of a lottery winner with incredible luck has finally been identified. Kenya Sloan, 41, of Shelby, North Carolina, won not one but two scratch-off lottery jackpots worth $1 million or more.
In August 2022, Sloan hit the $1 million jackpot playing a $10 Carolina Jackpot scratch-off game in her first time buying that particular scratch ticket, Fox 59 reported.
Then, in October 2022, she purchased a $20 Diamond Dazzler scratch-off ticket. It was also her first time playing that game. Beginner’s luck struck again, as she won the ticket’s top prize of $2 million.
“I was like: ‘No way this happened again,'” Kenya told the NC Education Lottery. “But it did.”
“I told some of my family members and they couldn’t believe it either,” Kenya continued. “I was just standing there in shock.”
“I just feel blessed,” Kenya added. “That’s all I can say.”
Sloan chose to take the $1.2 million lump sum payout on the $2 million lottery ticket, which netted $855,006 after state and federal taxes were withheld.
Sloan used the proceeds from the $1 million win in August to build and buy a new home.
With her $855,006 in proceeds from her second jackpot win, Sloan says she plans to open her own soul food restaurant, Fox 13 reported.
Mega Millions jackpot reaches $1.35 billion.
The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, January 13, 2023, is at an estimated $1.35 billion – the second-largest in the lottery’s history, CNN reported.
Technically speaking, the odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 15,300, according to the NWS. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, according to Fortune. You’d have a better chance of becoming president of the United States, which is 1 in 32.6 million, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. You’d also have much better of being eaten and killed by a shark which is 1 in 3.7 million.
