Man Buys $2 Million Lottery Ticket on Christmas Day

Winner plans to still work, continue to try for Powerball jackpot

A Rockwall man got a holiday bonus after he bought a $2 million winning ticket.

John Williams bought a Powerball ticket at a Rockwall 7-Eleven as usual on Christmas Day. The day after, he found out that all five of his Quick Pick numbers matched.

"When I looked at his ticket, he got five numbers straight -- $2 million," said Mahabe Yallew, who sold the man the ticket. "We're so happy selling winning ticket."

Williams did not match the Powerball number, but his second-tier prize doubled to $2 million because he selected the Power Play option.

"He's so happy; he's very excited," Yallew said. "He's a nice guy. He comes every day to buy [a] ticket."

Williams told the Texas Lottery that he won't change his routine and plans to continue to try for the Powerball jackpot, which is currently estimated at $70 million.

"I'll still work," he said. "It's not really enough to retire on, but I'm going to take some fabulous vacations."

Yallew said he's never sold a ticket worth that much money in the five years that he has run the store in the 100 block of Kaufman Road.

But people are flocking to the 7-Eleven that sold the winning ticket in hopes of also changing their luck.

"This is definitely the lucky store," Abner Betancourt said. "I've won several hundred dollars in lottery tickets, so I'll always keep coming back."

What would people do with that much cash in their pocket?

"I'd buy a mansion and have parties there and a trampoline, or I'd buy 2 million Slurpees," Emily Ragsdale said.

"We're in college, so we're broke, so anything over $20 is really exciting," Savannah Estes and Katie Bower said.

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