On Monday, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced that a Raleigh man won a $25,000 per year for life prize playing the lottery.
According to lottery officials, Raleigh resident Shannon Murphy purchased a $2 “Lucky for Life” ticket at the Food Lion on Leesville Road in Raleigh and matched all five white balls during the June 27 drawing.
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“This is very surreal and exciting,” Murphy said.
Lucky for Life is one of six lottery prize games in North Carolina in which residents can buy their tickets through a retail location or online play.
The drawings are every night, and the odds of winning the grand prize are 1 in 1.8 million.
“We are still in shock right now,” Murphy said. “We didn’t believe it until we got here today.”
Murphy claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday and chose the lump sum of $390,000. Based on calculations from WRAL News, that is the equivalent of receiving $25,000 per year for 15.6 years.
After required state and federal taxes, Murphy took home $278,850. Murphy said he plans to give back to the community with his winnings.
“I want to give to a good cause,” he said. “It’s good karma to give back to those who need it.”
In addition to giving the money to a good cause, Murphy plans to invest some of his winnings and buy a new car.