In a twist that practically writes itself, Ladaryenne Smith of Franklinton, North Carolina, experienced a Christmas miracle of sorts, after purchasing a humble $5 scratch-off ticket that would change his holiday season — and potentially his life — significantly. According to CBS 17, Smith scored the top prize of $150,000 on the Holiday Cash 50X game on Christmas Eve.
For someone who had never hit it big before, the shock of his win was palpable, having checked the ticket in his vehicle, which was parked presumably. “I probably looked at it like 600 times,” he admitted in a recount of the incident reported by NC Lottery. The image of multiple zeros on his winning ticket firmly etched into his mind, as he joked, “I saw a zero, then I saw another zero, then another zero. It was just crazy.”
After dealing with the necessary bureaucratic slice of the pie — federal and state tax withholdings to be precise — Smith's windfall came down to $107,251 of spendable cash. The timing of this win wasn't lost on him either, as he welcomed a new child into the world shortly before hitting the jackpot. “This comes at a really good time for me,” Smith told ABC11.
As for what's next for the Franklin County man, financial prudence seems to be the route de jour, with plans to bolster his savings and engage in some level of investing. Besides being a responsible saver, he's got a new mouth to feed at home that certainly adds weight to his decision. “We just had a kid,” he said on ABC11, so the intention to put his winnings to good use was something of a given. With only one remaining top prize of $150,000 in the Holiday Cash 50X game, other hopefuls will no doubt be trying to replicate Smith's fortune.
