An 18-year-old in Raleigh, North Carolina won the lottery with the help of his sister. Jalen McLean earned a million dollars after his sibling picked a lucky ticket.
McLean spoke to ABC 11 on how his sister’s choice in scratch-offs made him a millionaire. McLean gave Dasha Silas the option to choose a ticket that would change their life, with Silas picking the $10 Jumbo Bucks at gas station in Fayetteville on May 21. Upon realizing they won the jackpot, McLean bursted into glee.
“He had a huge smile on his face,” explained Silas to the news outlet. “Like so big. it looked like the movie character Venom.”
As for McLean, the shock has yet to wear off. With his young age in mind, he is well aware of the enormous opportunity this money can provide.
“I feel like the luckiest guy in the universe…How many 18-year-olds win something like this” questioned McLean.
The teenager had two options to receive his lottery earnings. He chose the $50,000 a year allotment instead of the $600,000 lump sum. He will take home the payout annually for the next 20 years. However, his first check took out nearly $15,000 in taxes, leaving him with nearly $36,000.
Despite this, McLean has big plans for his
money, hoping to buy a luxury car with the stash. However, the outlet did not report if he will slide any of the funds to his sister, yet his sibling seems in full support of her brother’s win.McLean is among the youngest lottery winners in the country, as the legal age to do so remains at 18. The youngest in U.S. history was also a fellow Carolinian, according to Oldest.org. At 19-years-old, Jay Vargas won over $35 million in 2008 after playing the Powerball in South Carolina.
In the meantime, McLean looks forward to driving around a new Audi as one half of the lucky sibling duo.