Lottery Legends: Fortune Cookies, Gas Stations & $2 Billion Dreams

Lottery Legends: Fortune Cookies, Gas Stations & $2 Billion Dreams
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Meet America’s lotto legends: Edwin Castro snagged a jaw-dropping $2.04 billion Powerball prize in 2022, upgrading from his one-bedroom to multi-multi-million dollar cribs, while the gas station that sold his winning ticket scored a cool $1 million bonus—because let’s all praise the real MVP, the convenience store. Meanwhile, Judy Finchum in Colorado stuck to the same numbers for 30 years, finally winning $133 million on her dog Tillie’s birthday—proving persistence and mutt vibes pay off. Then there’s Charles Jackson Jr. who in 2019 won $344 million with fortune cookie numbers as if the universe is still trolling. And Gloria C. MacKenzie from Florida, who at 84 bagged $590.5 million but apparently couldn't trust her own son to manage it. From anonymous Georgian dreamers to 33 Delaware co-workers collectively cashing $214.7 million and each pocketing over $2.6 million, the US lottery map reads like a billionaire’s to-do list, sprinkled with enough feels-good, weird luck, and lawsuit teasers to keep Netflix's lawyers busy for a decade.

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Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/2/2025 | Author: Erin McDowell