RALEIGH – Kevon Greenidge of Spring Lake bought a belated 40th birthday gift for himself and won the first $3 million prize in a new lottery game.
“I thought I was being pranked or something,” Greenidge said. “I really thought it was a trick.”
Greenidge bought his lucky $30 Fabulous Fortune ticket on First Tuesday, two days after his 40th birthday. His ticket came from the Short Stop on Anderson Ponds Drive in Spring Lake.
“When I saw it had so many numbers, I thought maybe it actually is real,” Greenidge said.
When Greenidge arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to collect his prize, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $150,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $1.8 million. He chose the lump-sum amount of $1.8 million and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $1,278,189.
Greenidge said he is planning to buy a house, a car, and give some money to charity.
Fabulous Fortune debuted this month with six $3 million prizes and 18 $100,000 prizes. Five $3 million prizes and 17 $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million per year for education. A $10 million grant, using money raised by the lottery, is helping Harnett County build the new Northwest Harnett Elementary School.
