A middle school teacher from Goldston walked into North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Thursday and walked out with a check for $4,320,614, the after-tax remainder of a $10 million scratch-off prize she says she still can hardly believe she won. Jena Johnson, who has taught for more than 20 years, bought the winning $50 “500X The Cash” ticket at a Murphy Express convenience store on New Chatham Road in Siler City.
Johnson said she could not believe the winning ticket when she scratched it off, according to ABC11 News. She opted for a $6 million lump-sum payout rather than a $500,000 annual annuity spread over 20 years, a choice that triggered immediate state and federal withholdings. North Carolina’s flat individual income tax rate dropped to 3.99% for 2026, and combined with the mandatory 24% federal withholding on prizes over $5,000, that meant an automatic 27.99% deduction — $1,679,386 — was taken out before she ever saw the money, according to the North Carolina Department of Revenue.
With the money in hand, Johnson says she is finally getting the car she has wanted since she was 16 years old: a BMW convertible. She also told lottery officials she found a way to pay for her daughter’s wedding after her daughter got engaged, the station’s report notes.
A Lucky Store With a History
The Murphy Express location where Johnson bought her ticket isn’t a stranger to big scratch-off wins. Back in June 2020, the same store sold a $20 scratch-off ticket that won Chatham County resident Leonard Bowers a $4 million top prize on the “$10,000 Loaded” game, according to the NC Education Lottery. Bowers ultimately chose a $2.4 million lump-sum payout from that win…