California man wins $1,000 in lottery, buys another ticket, wins $10 million

A California man thought he hit the jackpot when he bought a scratch-and-win lottery ticket at a convenience store last week.

Minutes later, he hit the real jackpot.

Rodney Meadows was running errands on Nov. 23 when he stopped at a Fast Mart in Modesto, Calif. He picked up a couple California Lottery 30th anniversary $30 Scratchers tickets and walked out.
But Meadows was back in the store almost immediately – with a winning ticket worth US$1,000.
“[Meadows] scratched $1,000 and he came back,” Fast Mart manager Lakhvir Singh told KCRA News in Sacramento. “We had three tickets left on that row and he said, ‘give me those three, too.’”

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Meadows’ decision to “let it ride,” paid off big time.

“Someone came in and bought three [tickets], so [Meadows} bought the last three and the third one, that was the 10 million [winner],” Meadows’ friend Joseph Trancoso told KCRA. “I can’t even believe what 10 million looks like.”

Meadows told the Associated Press he was so shocked, he asked the clerk to scan his winning ticket again.

“First off, I could not believe it,” Meadows said. “I had to ask the clerk at the store, and he said, ‘You better check it again at the machine.’”
Meadows has reportedly not yet decided what to do with his $10,001,000 in winnings.