Anthony Yates
A Virginia Woman won a lottery jackpot despite struggling to pick numbers for the draw. She told lottery officials how she chose her numbers and her extraordinary plans for the cash.
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What happened: According to the Virginia Lottery, Carrie Edwards won $150,000 in the Powerball draw on September 8. She matched four out of five numbers from the regular draw with the Powerball on top.
- Four numbers plus the Powerball would usually award the winner $50,000. However, Edwards paid for “Power Play,” which costs an extra $1, tripling her prize to $150,000.
- Edwards explained that she went online to complete the draw, but suddenly wondered how she would pick her numbers. “You know, I’m new. I’ve never played online before,” she said. The Virginia woman claims she eventually enlisted the help of an AI chatbot..
- “So, I’m like Chat, Chat GPT, talk to me about this $1.7 billion, and do you have numbers for me?” Edwards revealed that her chatbot had a “sexy British voice,” reminding her that it was all about luck. Regardless, the chatbot gave Edwards some suggestions, making her much richer in the process.
The Lottery Winner Reveals Her Plans For The Cash
A good cause: Edwards collected her winnings, but said she isn’t going to keep a single penny. Instead, she is splitting the jackpot three ways, with $50,000 going to three organizations of great importance to her.
- “I want to shine the light on three organizations that I’m passionate about,” Edwards said. She first mentioned the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), explaining that FTD is an early-onset dementia. The lottery winner explained that she lost her husband to the disease last year.
- Edwards pledged $50,000 to Shalom Farms, a “regenerative farm in Richmond.” She also said that she works for the organization at least one day a week.
- The remaining $50,000 is going to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. “My dad was a naval academy graduate, a fighter pilot, a hero himself,” she said, explaining that it was his favorite charity.
Edwards told lottery officials she felt “very blessed” that she knew what to do with her winnings. She hopes her plan will encourage others to see unexpected prizes as opportunities to give to good causes.
