Record lottery jackpot in Canada of over $80.4M goes to pair of longtime friends in London, Ont. | CBC News
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Two men who met after immigrating from Europe to London, Ont., in the 1990s are the winners of Canada’s largest-ever lottery payout.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) announced Thursday that Greg S. and Krys P., whose last names weren’t released, won a total of $80,403,285.40 from the Dec. 30 Lotto Max draw: the $80-million jackpot and the $403,285.40 second prize for in the combination play option. Their record payout eclipses the $80 million won in B.C. last year.
“I saw the words Big Winner [on the OLG app] and the number 80 and I didn’t believe it at first,” Greg said in an interview released by OLG. “It was unbelievable. I checked it again and I saw the eight, the zeros and the commas, and I knew it was $80 million.”
They met decades ago in an English as a Second Language (ESL) class, became friends and have been playing the lottery together for years, said OLG. The only buy tickets when the jackpots are high.
Kyrs said he had just woken up the morning Greg’s wife called to tell him the news.
“I went over to Greg’s to check the ticket together and shake his hand. He is the one who always took the time to go to the store and buy our tickets.”
The winning ticket was purchased at Happy Day’s Mini Mart on Aldersbrook Road in London.
What’ll they do with the money?
Their windfall comes after 28 years of work for each man: Greg never missed a day in manufacturing and Krys works 12-hour shifts in a factory.
Greg said it’ll take some time for them to decide what’ll happen next.
“It’s surreal. I’ve been playing for years, but you never expect something like this to happen,” he said, adding he has met with a financial adviser for advice on how to invest in his future.
For the time being, Krys said he plans to purchase a new car and home, and hopes to travel to some tropical destinations.
“I worked hard for my life in Canada,” said Krys. “Now I can spend more time travelling and being with my kids. I’m still shocked — I’ve never seen money like this in my life.”
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