Addressing a gaggle of reporters Tuesday, Manuel Franco had some difficulty finding his words.

But his smile said it all.

Grinning from ear to ear, the 24-year-old from West Allis, Wis., recounted the story behind winning the $768 million Powerball jackpot — the third-largest in U.S. history. It began with a “lucky” feeling as he left work on March 27.

“It’s a weird lucky feeling. It’s not natural, not normal at all,” Franco told reporters. He was so confident, he said, that before buying $10 worth of Powerball tickets at a Speedway gas station outside Milwaukee, he looked into the store’s camera and considered winking.