A North Carolina Marine Corps veteran and his wife won a $10 million lottery prize while watching a football game.
Monte Hukill and his wife, Gage, of High Point, North Carolina, were the first to win the top $10 million prize in the "Extreme Millions" scratch-off game.
Hukill bought the winning scratch-off ticket at the Fairway One Stop on Greensboro Road in High Point, then headed home to watch Thursday night football.
"I would scratch a number and then look back at the game," Hukill told lottery officials. "I wasn't really paying attention. But that sure did change."
When Hukill realized he was a winner, he called out to his wife. "I walked over to the stairs and yelled, 'Hey honey, you might want to come down here,'" said Hukill, recalling the moment.
"My first initial thought was the kids," said Gage, a high school English teacher. "But it wasn't the kids! He showed me this ticket and I just thought, 'No way. Things like this just don't happen to ordinary people like us.'"
Putting the lucky ticket on the nightstand, the Hukills tried to sleep through the night. "I think I slept with one eye open," said Hukill. "Because I knew I had won, I just knew it."
They woke up early and headed to Raleigh with the ticket.
"The whole ride down I kept telling him to prepare because it might not be real," Gage said. "I can't believe I was such a Debbie Doubter!"
The Hukills had the choice of a $10 million annuity that has 20 payments of $500,000 per year, or a lump sum of $6 million. Hukill chose the lump sum and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $4,170,069.
The Hukills plan on using the money to help their two kids pay for college and pay off Gage's student loan debt.
"My wife went back to school at 42 to be a high school teacher," Hukill said. "Education is important in our household. So once we get that settled, then we will think about what to do next."
Extreme Millions launched in December 2016 with four $10 million prizes, and 22 $1 million prizes. Three top prizes and 13 $1 million prizes still have not been claimed. Players can also enter their non-winning tickets for a chance to win $1 million in a second-chance drawing.
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Oh wow way to go Monte and Gage!!!
Congratulations to Monte and Gage Hukill !!! $4,170,069.00 WOW!!
How much did he spend on the lucky ticket?
Wish it was me.
Congrats that is a nice prize to win $10 million!-weshar75
Wow, $6 million is reduced to $4 mil in a blink of an eye. Now that's downright villainous. Congrats- nonetheless
Extreme Millions tickets cost $30
Extreme Millions ticket details
Game launched in December of last year, and the first big winner is just now coming forward? That is quite a while! Anyways, congrats to the winners! Speaking of December, now is a GREAT time to win (
)!
"Tax the rich!" people say. But just not rich lottery winners?
All humankind is created equal: The Graduated Tax Rates: Make Everyone Equally Poor!
I was just in that store a couple of weeks ago....never dreamed anyone would get a big win like that in there!
Glad someone from High Point, NC got it though!....good for him and his wife!...they won't have to worry about money any longer if they use it wisely and I bet they will.
When the income tax law passed through Congress in 1913 the politicians said, "Only the rich will be taxed".
If President Trump gets the tax reductions that he wants then a lottery winner will owe 25% at the top rate. That will save us 14.6%.
Here in CA lottery winnings are not taxed. That saves us 13.3%. May God Bless Governor Jerry Brown and the Democrat majority in the Legislature. Plus the voters here in CA.
Could you please take our Senator McConnell from KY?? LOL.
Congrats!!!
Lol. Why? You don't like fossil fuel emissions from Power Plants? Oops sorry too late.