‘Magnificent Christmas’: Charlotte man wins $2 million Powerball jackpot

RALEIGH — Alfie Farlow, of Charlotte, said he can’t wait to spend a magnificent Christmas with his family after he won $2 million in Monday’s Powerball drawing, officials with the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a news release.

“I told them, ‘I think our life is about to change,’” Farlow said.

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Farlow said the first thing he is going to do is put some money into an account for his two young daughters for their college tuition.

“My girls are not going to have to worry about their college tuition anymore. That’s what means the most to me,” Farlow said. “That is a beautiful feeling.”

Farlow bought three Quick Pick Power Play tickets from Sam’s Mart on Providence Road the night of Monday’s drawing. Farlow said he got up and went to work the next day without even thinking about the Powerball tickets. After he got off work, Farlow said he looked at the Powerball numbers on his friend’s phone to see if he won.

“I saw they were a match, and I didn’t believe it,” Farlow said. “It feels so surreal. You’re almost too scared to really believe it.”

His $2 million win was the largest prize won in the country in Monday’s drawing.

Farlow, a 54-year-old machinist, said that after he puts away some money for his daughters’ college tuition, he wants to buy a new home and possibly start his own trucking business.

Farlow arrived at lottery headquarters on Wednesday to collect his prize. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $1,415,000.

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The Powerball jackpot has been rolling since the last winning jackpot on Oct. 4. The current Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is an estimated $378 million, or $275.9 million in cash. The odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

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