The couple were headed to bed on Saturday night when the man checked his MyLotto app.
“I realised the $40m prize was split between two winners, and I was one of them,” he said.
He said he jumped out of bed and began pacing back and forth.
“Paying off the mortgage is going to be number one,” said the man.
“And there’s a car I’ve had my eye on for a while.
He said they would take things slow and get advice before making decisions.
“I’ve had a lifelong dream of helping animals, and this now gives me the opportunity to do that. I don’t know what that looks like right now, but it’s one of my goals for the future.”
The couple said they hadn’t had much time to celebrate yet but that they’ll “definitely do something special in the coming days”.
It was the biggest jackpot since November last year, when three lucky winners split a staggering $55m, taking home $18.3m each.
Lotto NZ head of communications Will Hine said the second winners of the other half of the cash pot are yet to claim their $20m.
“We’re urging anyone who bought their ticket from Blockhouse Bay Postshop & Stationers in Auckland to check their ticket and get in touch with us if they are the big winner.
“This is a huge win. Someone is in for the shock of their life when they check their ticket.”
Powerball now sits at $5m for Saturday’s draw.
Lotto’s biggest individual prize was $44.06m won by a ticket-holder in Auckland a decade ago.
In 2021, a single ticket-holder in Waikato won $42.02m.
