The North Carolina Powerball player who missed the $1.2 billion jackpot by one number but still struck gold has plans to purchase a home with his new fortune.
Daryl Steinhoff came forward as the lucky Tar Heel State resident who won $2 million from the Sept.1 drawing, where he missed only the red Powerball number for the top prize.
Steinhoff used “family numbers” to match all five white balls and paid an extra dollar for the power play to double the $1 million prize, according to the lottery.
The winning numbers were 8, 23, 25, 40, 53, and the red Powerball 5.
Steinhoff, a Clayton, NC resident, said he was unaware of his newfound fortune until the next morning when he received an alert that said he was a winner.
“The next day I got an email saying that I won something,” Steinhoff told the Tar Heel State Lottery. “I was ecstatic and in disbelief. I called my daughter and girlfriend.”
Steinhoff claimed his prize at the State Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Thursday.
The 68-year-old posed with a giant check written out to him for $2 million. He received $1.44 million after taxes.
Steinhoff wasn’t the only near-flawless Powerball player during his drawing.
An anonymous player in Montana purchased a ticket matching all five white balls, playing the power play to score a $2 million payday.
The Big Sky State ticket was purchased at a Rosauers Supermarket in Missoula, MT.
The unidentified winner claimed the prize on Sept. 5, the state lottery announced.
“Lesson of the day: Listen to your gut, even if you’re told that it’s a waste of time!” Montana lottery officials said in the announcement.
Powerball’s historic jackpot continued to surge until two players — who hail from Missouri and Texas — won the $1.79 billion jackpot on Saturday night.
A record 42 drawings passed between jackpot wins, ranging from May 31 to Sept. 6.
The jackpot winners will have to split the nearly $2 billion prize, chosen between an annuitized prize of $895 million paid out over 29 years, or a one-time lump sum of $410.3 million — before taxes.
Players from Kansas and Texas shared Steinhoff’s luck, matching all five white balls plus the power play to win $2 million.
Fifteen other players walked home with $1 million wins after matching the five white balls.
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