A Surprising Lottery Win
Carrie Edwards of Midlothian, Virginia, matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball in the September 8, 2025, Virginia Lottery drawing. Initially, her prize was $50,000, but because she had opted for the $1 Power Play, her winnings were tripled to $150,000.
What made her story stand out even more was that she credited ChatGPT with choosing the numbers that won.
Picking Numbers with ChatGPT
Edwards explained at a press conference that she was not a frequent online lottery player but decided to use her phone’s ChatGPT app to pick her numbers. “I’m like, ChatGPT, talk to me…
Do you have numbers for me?” she recalled. Two days later, while in a meeting, she received a notification telling her to collect her lottery winnings. At first, she thought it was a scam, but after confirming the win, she realized the surprising outcome was real.
Pledging the Entire Prize to Charity
Instead of keeping the money, Edwards pledged to give all $150,000 to charity. Her first donation will go to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, honoring her late husband who passed away from the disease in 2024.
The organization funds research and provides support for those affected by the condition. Her second donation will go to Shalom Farms in Richmond, which focuses on food justice and fighting food insecurity. She praised the group’s community-based approach to ensuring food equity. Her final donation will go to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, an organization her father, a fighter pilot, supported during his life.
Giving Away the Unexpected Windfall
Edwards emphasized that because the winnings were unexpected, she wanted to direct them toward helping others. “Because it’s a windfall I didn’t expect, and it’s certainly going to help those in need,” she said.
Standing with a Virginia Lottery check in hand, she confirmed that the money would be divided among the three causes most important to her family and community.
Carrie Edwards of Midlothian, Virginia won $150,000 in the Sept. 8 Virginia Lottery after using her phone’s ChatGPT app to pick numbers.
She announced she will donate every dollar…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/oRKezgN8Wa
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) September 30, 2025