Exhibit 24

Power of Attorney

WITNESSETH, that each of the undersigned directors of FIRST CITIZENS BANCSHARES, INC. (“BancShares”), a Delaware corporation, by his or her execution hereof, hereby constitutes and appoints ALEXANDER G. MACFADYEN, JR. and KENNETH A. BLACK, and each of them, with authority to act jointly or individually, as his or her true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact, and in his or her name, place and stead, to execute for him or her BancShares’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 (the “Annual Report”) to be filed by BancShares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any and all amendments to such Annual Report, and to file the same, together with all exhibits and schedules thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission. Each of the undersigned hereby grants unto each said attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all the acts of each said attorney-in-fact which he or they may lawfully do in the premises or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/    JOHN M. ALEXANDER, JR.         John M. Alexander, Jr.	Director	February 14, 2005
/s/    CARMEN HOLDING AMES         Carmen Holding Ames	Director	February 9, 2005
/s/    VICTOR E. BELL III         Victor E. Bell III	Director	February 9, 2005
/s/    GEORGE H. BROADRICK         George H. Broadrick	Director	February 8, 2005
/s/    HUBERT M. CRAIG III         Hubert M. Craig III	Director	February 14, 2005
/s/    H. LEE DURHAM         H. Lee Durham	Director	February 22, 2005
Lewis M. Fetterman	Director
/s/    FRANK B. HOLDING         Frank B. Holding	Executive Vice Chairman	February 14, 2005
/s/    FRANK B. HOLDING, JR.         Frank B. Holding, Jr.	President, Chief Administrative Officer and Director	February 14, 2005
/s/    LEWIS R. HOLDING         Lewis R. Holding	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer	February 7, 2005
Charles B. C. Holt	Director
/s/    JAMES B. HYLER, JR.         James B. Hyler, Jr.	Director	February 8, 2005

Signature	Title	Date
/s/    GALE D. JOHNSON, M.D.         Gale D. Johnson, M.D.	Director	February 9, 2005
/s/    FREEMAN R. JONES         Freeman R. Jones	Director	February 10, 2005
/s/    LUCIUS S. JONES         Lucius S. Jones	Director	February 22, 2005
/s/    JOSEPH T. MALONEY, JR.         Joseph T. Maloney, Jr.	Director	February 9, 2005
/s/    ROBERT T. NEWCOMB         Robert T. Newcomb	Director	February 11, 2005
/s/    LEWIS T. NUNNELEE II         Lewis T. Nunnelee II	Director	February 10, 2005
/s/    C. RONALD SCHEELER         C. Ronald Scheeler	Director	February 14, 2005
/s/    RALPH K. SHELTON         Ralph K. Shelton	Director	February 9, 2005
/s/    R. C. SOLES, JR.         R. C. Soles, Jr.	Director	February 10, 2005
/s/    DAVID L. WARD, JR.         David L. Ward, Jr.	Director	March 2, 2005