Spontaneous purchase leads man to Powerball win

A Powerball play slip is seen at a store Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

MANNING, S.C. (WOLO)– A spontaneous purchase led a Midlands man to win $150,000, said SC Lottery officials.

Officials said a Midlands man wasn’t planning on buying a Powerball ticket when he stopped by the QuikTrip on Paxville Hwy in Manning.

But when he heard the jackpot was approaching $1 billion, he decided to take a chance.

“It’s crazy, I’ve never won anything before,” he stated.

His ticket came within one number of winning the Powerball jackpot on December 10.

Lottery officials said he did not check his winning ticket right away as he let a couple of weeks slide by before having the ticket scanned at a store to see if he had won anything.

“I was told it was big money, and that I would have to go to Columbia to get paid,” he said.

Then he waited a bit longer, until after the holidays to cash it in.

The odds of matching four white ball numbers and the red Powerball number, playing Powerball are 1 in 913,129.