Man wins $500,000 Powerball prize with fortune cookie numbers

When Florida resident Ernesto Sorzano picked up his fried rice and shrimp from a Chinese takeout, he got a fortune cookie that would change his life.

Sorzano, who is in the process of moving to Huntersville, North Carolina, used the set of lucky numbers from the fortune cookie to purchase a North Carolina Powerball lottery ticket.

According to North Carolina lottery officials, Sorzano’s numbers matched four of the white balls, winning him $50,000, but they say that prize bolted to $500,000 because he bought a $3 power-play ticket.

According to lottery officials, the odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

“This was a good investment,” Sorzano said.

Sorzano, who is from Estero, Florida, took home $353,751 after tax on Monday. The future North Carolina resident said he’s still in disbelief and will be using the money to purchase a home in Huntersville.

“Unbelievable,” Sorzano said. “I’m just super happy that my dreams came true.”