He won North Carolina lottery prize — but didn’t tell his wife for weeks. Here’s why
A North Carolina man became a lottery winner — but kept the news from his wife for weeks.
That’s because he wanted to wait to reveal the big secret on her birthday. But when his wife finally found out about the windfall, she wasn’t convinced that he won, according to the N.C. Education Lottery.
“She thought I was making a joke or something,” winner Jone Buadromo said in a news release. “I told her, ‘No we really won.’”
Buadromo, 72, scored the prize after he went to the Handy Mart in Alliance. While at the convenience store roughly 130 miles southeast of Raleigh, officials said he spent $3 on a ticket for the Powerball game.
It turns out, he missed the bigger jackpot prize but matched enough numbers to win $100,000.
“I didn’t believe it at first either,” Buadromo told lottery officials. “I just tried to keep calm as much as possible.”
After he learned he was getting much richer, he decided to hold off on claiming his prize for almost two months.
“I waited until the end of May because I wanted to surprise her on her birthday with the win,” Buadromo said in the release.
Buadromo, who lives in the Pamlico County town of Bayboro, kept $71,011 after taxes. He said he might spend the prize money on property near the beach or a rental house.
It’s not the first time a North Carolina lottery win happened around the same time as a special occasion.
In February, officials said a husband planned to surprise his wife with a big check after forgetting his wedding anniversary.
That same month, another lucky lottery player hit the jackpot days before his birthday, McClatchy News reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 3:32 PM.
