A North Carolina woman won a $2 million top prize lottery ticket, her second lottery win since June.
Jennifer Kleinendorst paid just $20 for the winning “100X The Cash” scratch-off ticket, which she had bought in the town of Fuquay-Varina, according to a North Carolina Education Lottery news release on Tuesday.
The odds of winning the top prize was one in 1,540,530, according to the lottery page.
But when Kleinendorst went to claim her money at lottery headquarters on Monday, she was given $1.2 million instead of $2 million, though the news release didn’t explain why.
She was given a choice, however, of whether she wanted the $1.2 million in a lump sum, or in $100,000 annuities over the next 20 years.
Kleinendorst chose the lump sump and, after taxes, took home $861,006.
Jennifer Kleinendorst of Willow Spring tried her luck on a 100X The Cash scratch-off and won a $2 million top prize, her second major lottery win! Her ticket was from Hill Top on North Main St in Fuquay-Varina. Kleinendorst previously won the $250,000 grand prize in the 2025… pic.twitter.com/3ipS2UnLnM
— NC Education Lottery (@nclottery) August 5, 2025
One person criticized the lottery for what it ultimately paid Kleinendorst.
“I feel like that’s a bit messed up,” Kristen M. wrote in a comment under the news release.
“You won 2 million but you dont get it really. you have to take it in payments over 20 years. Which you never know whether you’re gonna make it or not or you have to lower your amount and then it be taxed like crazy and end up leaving with less than half. something doesn’t seem right,” Kristen wrote.
The lottery responded to Kristen about the 20-year annuity option, even though Kleinendorst had chosen the lump sum.
“Hi, Kristen! We wanted to share that if a player chooses the annuity option and passes away before receiving all of the payments, they are still guaranteed those remaining payments: winners will receive 20 years of annual payments, and any remaining payments after their passing would be paid to their estate,” the lottery wrote.
But Kleinendorst likely wasn’t fretting over it too much, as this was her second big lottery win in months.
In June, Kleinendorst won the $250,000 grand prize in the “2025 Multiply The Cash Second Chance” drawing.
The contest had more than 23 million entries, according to WNCN-TV in Raleigh.
After taxes, Kleinendorst took home $179,375.
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