Filipino-Canadian Justin Simporios has won a staggering $80 million (approximately ₱3 billion) Lotto Max jackpot!
According to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), this is the largest lottery jackpot ever claimed in British Columbia and the largest won by a single individual in Canada.
Photo: BCLC/Website
The 35-year-old Surrey resident matched all seven numbers in the May 9 draw. He had purchased the winning ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City while picking up burger buns for dinner. In an unexpected twist of fate, that simple grocery run ended up changing his life forever.
Adding to the surprise, Simporios had even joked to his wife about becoming millionaires before manually checking each number. That joke turned into reality when he discovered they were, in fact, now multi-millionaires.
“I saw that someone won $80 million in Surrey. I was joking and told my wife ‘we’re millionaires!’ and she told me to stop making that joke. After, I manually checked each number before scanning. I cried and shouted, ‘we’re millionaires!’” he shared in a press release.
Simporios couldn’t help but become emotional as he received the $80 million cheque. According to CTV News, he submitted his resignation letter to the logistics company he works for just a few hours before the news conference.
“I’m an immigrant. I came from a poor country. Like, this money’s a lot, right? I’ve been struggling. I’m a father. I work full-time,” he said, emphasizing how difficult it is to balance providing for his family while also wanting to spend quality time with them.
“With this amount of money, I’ll be able to spend more time with my daughter, with my wife, with my family. Like, it’s awesome,” he continued.
When asked about what he plans to do with the $80 million, Simporios revealed that his priorities include securing his family’s future, paying off his sister’s medical school debt, and helping his mother retire early.
“I want to help my family and my wife’s family. I’ll pay off my sister’s medical school debt and help my mom retire early,” he noted.
Simporios then expressed his intention to use the money to help several communities in Canada, adding that they are already compiling a list of charitable organizations to which they plan to donate a portion of their winnings.
“I have been living for four years in Surrey, I could really see the struggle. Of course, this is so much money for us, I really want to give back to the community as much as I could,” he further said.
As an avid Los Angeles Lakers fan, Simporios shared that he hopes to watch LeBron James play in person before the basketball icon retires. He also plans to bring his family to the Philippines for a family reunion and vacation.
With the odds of winning a Lotto Max jackpot are one in 33,294,800, Simporios’ win is a remarkable demonstration of sheer luck.
Congratulations!
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