Hmong man, Chai Lee, wins $1 million in lotto game

Sunday, April 25, 2010 — RALEIGH — A man from Albemarle went fishing after getting off work, but his biggest catch of the day was on a “$200 Million Extravaganza” instant scratch-off game.

Chai Lee won $1 million playing the ticket he purchased at Cagle’s Chevron on N.C. 49 in Denton, according to a press release from representatives of the North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL).

The $1 million prize will be paid as an annuity in $50,000 payments for 20 years. He has already received his first check, which has an after-tax value of $34,006.

He was surprised to win and hasn’t decided how he will spend his prize money, the release stated.

A lottery representative said Lee declined to have his photo taken, release any contact information or schedule a news conference.

The NCEL has paid out more than $5.1 million total in instant scratch-off ticket prizes since Monday.

Lee’s winning is believed to be the largest prize won for a Stanly County resident since the lottery began, with one local individual claiming $200,000 last fall.

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