Imagine being the winner of a $70 million jackpot, and deciding not to retire. That’s what a recent 54-year-old winner of a massive Lotto Max jackpot has decided.
According to OLG, Ontario’s newest multimillionaire is Brampton’s Manoharan Ponnuthurai who won the December 17, 2021 draw.
Ponnuthurai said he has been playing the lottery for about 30 years because of his father.
“I had many dreams about winning it ‘big’ one day and a few times I came close,” he said, adding he won $2800 about 15 years ago with SUPER 7, the predecessor to Lotto Max.
The big winner initially heard that someone won the jackpot in Brampton.
“So I started checking my numbers. One by one the numbers were matching and by the fourth number, I knew I won something. That’s when I started shaking and called my wife and children to help me check. As each number matched, my heart was racing faster and faster.”
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Still not sure he won, OLG said he checked his ticket on the app and saw “BIG WINNER” displayed on the phone screen.
“At that very moment I was still shaking but I was not loud. I was in shock and I quietly kept saying, ‘I won. I won!'”.
The new multimillionaire won’t be retiring because he operates a small manufacturing company, which employs several people who depend on him for their jobs, according to OLG.
But his wife said she is retiring immediately. The family also said a new home is planned for the near future.
Ponnuthurai also wants to give back to his community.
“I am so happy about my family’s future. Whatever we decide to do, we will do it as family and that is so most important to me!”
The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K at the intersection of Torbram Road and Countryside Drive in Brampton.
