This Dad Went Out For Chocolate Milk And Came Home $1 Million Richer
We've all been there. You open the fridge and the chocolate milk is gone. Sure, you could mix some chocolate syrup into a glass of regular milk, but that isn't quite the same, and your kids will know it. Instead, you'll have to run out to the store and buy some of the real stuff — maybe for the little ones or for yourself. According to Food & Wine, 29% of Americans "use their kids as an excuse to buy chocolate milk for themselves." While it's normal for kids to love the drink, we're here to tell you that it's perfectly okay to carry that love into adulthood. (And in case you were wondering, it's also okay to order yourself a Happy Meal.)
But, while you're at the store, you might as well pick up a few other items, right? Like maybe a lotto ticket — though you may not expect to win anything. After all, Forbes says you have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of winning the Powerball, and a 1 in 302.6 million chance of winning the Mega Million. Those aren't exactly great odds — but for one man in Virginia, he beat them.
Chocolate milk clearly is for winners
One Virginia dad in fact struck gold when he went out to pick up chocolate milk for his kids. While he was at his local 7-Eleven, Dennis Willoughby decided to buy a lotto ticket for the Platinum Jackpot. And, despite the odds, Willoughby's ticket turned out to be a $1 million winner, says Fox 8 News.
Given the choice between just over $640,000 in cash upfront or the full $1 million paid out over 30 years, Willoughby chose the cash payout. (That still roughly equates to about 186,480 gallons of a $3.25 carton of chocolate milk, in case you wanted to know.)
To be fair, the global chocolate milk industry was valued at nearly $7.78 million in 2020, according to data gathered by Mordor Intelligence. Nestle, the top-selling manufacturer, even launched a new chocolate milk that is vegan-friendly (via Vegan First). This new Nesquik is made with oat milk, pea protein, and chocolate flavoring. So everyone can enjoy it — and maybe get lucky when picking up a jug at the store too.