Ex-marine secures $50k a year for life
Tuesday March 15th 2011A $20 investment paid off for a former marine last week after he won big with a North Carolina instant lottery ticket. Harry O. Pierce Jr, of Hubert, Onslow County, was shopping in Jacksonville on Thursday morning when he decided to spend $20 on a $200,000 a Year for Life scratchcard game. Soon after, he realised that he’d won the game’s second prize of $50,000 a year for life.
The lucky winner told North California lottery organisers that the first thing which came into his head was "security" and he wasted no time in making sure his cash windfall was safely in the bag. Mr Pierce immediately drove down to the lottery’s headquarters with his father and validated the winning ticket.
The ex-soldier will now receive a cheque for just over $34,000 after tax, once a year, for the rest of his life. Mr Hubert or his estate is guaranteed a minimum payout of $1million, but once that has been reached in 20 years time, the annual cheques will continue to drop through the letter box for Mr Pierce.
Officials said that following the win, scratchcards containing two top prizes of $200,000 a year are still waiting to be claimed, along with a further six second level prizes.
Written by Brett Levenson
Latest News