A Brooklyn truck driver is kissing his 9 to 5 goodbye after winning the second-largest Powerball Jackpot in the history of the New York Lottery.
David Johnson won the Dec. 26 drawing for the $298.3 million jackpot and has already quit his job to get a head start on enjoying his retirement, New York’s ABC7 reported. Johnson, 56, chose a single lump sum payment of $180,227,550, and after taxes will still pocket a whopping $114,091,248.
Johnson recalled the day he purchased the ticket from Arnold’s Service Station, which is across the street from his job. He was actually out sick that day and said he had no idea he’d won the jackpot until a coworker urged him to check his ticket.
“A friend of mine, a next driver for the company, called me and said ‘Hey Dave! Somebody won the Powerball by the gas station,'” Johnson, who drove for Iberia Foods, said. “I turned to myself I said, ‘Aw, that’s not me, man, that’s not my luck.'”
The call wasn’t enough to make him check his ticket right away. It wasn’t until his friend called once more urging him to do so that he finally returned to the convenience store on his way to work. Johnson said he didn’t realize he’d won until two days later.
“I went to the store and gave the ticket to the clerk to check,” he recalled. “He scanned it and said ‘Congratulations,’ I needed to see it for myself, so I scanned and saw it read BIG WINNER,” Johnson said. “I up looked at the board and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, Jesus, oh my God!’ ”
The Brooklyn man said he jumped for joy as reality of the win set in. He has since hired an attorney to help him invest the funds and take care of his family.
So what’s he going to do with all that cash? With his newfound wealth, the Jamaican immigrant said he’ll buy a new house for his family and the red Porsche he’s always wanted “so everyone can see me when I drive on the street.”
“I was so happy I couldn’t even eat, I was hungry but my stomach was full,” he said after learning of his winnings. “I want to sleep but I don’t want to sleep. I’m still happy.”
Johnson is the third consecutive New Yorker to win a 2018 Powerball lottery drawing.
Watch more in the video below.