It turns out people really do win giveaways. In February, Tim Harrington took delivery of the first Cybertruck to be raffled off by Tesla. He later showed how the Cybertruck fits in his garage "like a glove."

2024 continues to be the year of the Cybertruck, and well, Tesla has done it again. After holding a second Tesla referral raffle, the company has delivered another free Cybertruck to one extremely fortunate winner: Jacob Knight.

A few weeks ago, my neighbor and best friend since grade school called me around 9 p.m. with some unbelievable news.

He told me he thought he might have won a free Cybertruck. I literally didn't believe him. Well, I believed that he thought he might have won a free Cybertruck, but I really wanted to debunk whatever phishing expedition was being conducted before it got too far.

Neither we nor ChatGPT could debunk the raffle winner email using the email headers and raw message. A call from Tesla the following day confirmed the message and set things in motion.

Prior to the call, our families had spent the previous day and a half together.

The startup Jacob worked for was downsizing, his father-in-law Brian spent several days hospitalized after a stroke, and the start of summer was just generally turbulent.

My best friend was understandably in a funk, and I wanted to do my part in helping, so we dragged him out to the beach. The next day, I helped him clean his office while he interviewed for new job opportunities.

It felt like a day and a half well spent!

Neither of us had any clue about what was processing in the background.

It was a very real lesson in how a tide change may already be developing when you feel like you're underwater. Also, enter more raffles!

Fast-forward one week and change later, and our families are on a six-hour round trip from Biloxi to the Tesla delivery facility in Brandon, Mississippi. The email was real. The call was real. And Jacob's Cybertruck was waiting in the Tesla parking lot with his name hanging from the mirror.

Prior to owning the Cybertruck, Jacob's family owned two Teslas: a Model 3 Performance and a Model X Plaid.

I drove Jacob’s Model 3 Performance up for the photo op; I bought it a week later! Brian, having recovered from his stroke, rode as a passenger in the Model X on the way up. He was responsible for driving the Model X on the way back. This happened to be his first experience ever behind the wheel of an EV.

Jacob bravely packed his newly received Tesla Cybertruck with one of his two kids and my two kids for the ride back. It was a hot-as-summer spring day in Mississippi, but it was a helluva day to remember.

Jacob's Mawmaw Katie was also part of the day one experience. What a memory!

Personally, I can say I've logged roughly two hours behind the wheel of the Cybertruck. It's GOOD. Meanwhile, Jacob and his Foundation Edition Cyberbeast (yes, tri-motor!) have been the talk of the town. Seriously, people haven't stopped posing for pictures and sharing sightings on our town's Facebook group.

Jacob has also allowed his Cybertruck to join the dark side with a deep black matte wrap.

But enough storytelling from me. You can hear Jacob's story of being the Tesla Cybertruck raffle winner in his own words in a podcast interview recorded this week below:

The mission continues.

Photos courtesy of Kristen Knight Photography. Zac Hall is Editor-at-Large for 9to5Mac.