Friends of 30+ Years Keep Promise to Split Lottery Jackpot

By Simon Saunders -

Not all friendships are created equal - some are stronger than others. Perry Charles and Scott Edwards are an example of true friendship. More than 30 years ago, they made a promise to each other — if one of them won the lottery, they’d split the win. Earlier in July, Perry kept his promise when he split his $361,527 jackpot win with Scott.

The Promise

Perry and Scott first met when they were working at a Winn-Dixie supermarket. They became good friends and often talked about splitting up any lottery winnings they might get, regardless of whether they bought the ticket together or separately. They made a promise to “share it with each other,” and more than three decades later, they made that happen thanks to Perry’s lucky ticket.

A Lucky Lottery Ticket

When asked about how he got his ticket, Perry shared that he had just gotten off of work when he saw how much the lottery win had grown. He recalled thinking he really wanted to win, and he bought a $5 Double Win ticket at the Mast Food Mart, not really thinking much of it. The Fast Play jackpot at the time stood at $723,054, and his ticket would get him half of the jackpot amount.

Perry Charles and Scott Edwards holding the winning lottery check

As soon as he found out he actually won, he called his friend Scott. He was both excited and shocked and extremely happy to share the news with his bestie, who he considered to be part of his family. When he went to collect his prize, Perry had already told Scott they’d be splitting the jackpot. The lottery organization even added both of their names to the winning check.

After removing the required federal and state tax withholdings, Charles received $128,361. According to a statement from the North Carolina Education Lottery, both men said that they were hoping to use this newfound money to pay some bills.