A woman from Hamilton, Ontario. is now a billionaire after winning the $ 60 million Lotto Max award.
Leah Murdoch-Gerics received the check on Thursday. He bought the $ 5 “quick pick” ticket from OLG.ca for the April 19 raffle.
The $ 60 million payout is the largest ever awarded to a Lotto Max jackpot winner who bought their ticket online.
Murdoch-Gerics said he had been playing the lottery by chance for the past year before the big win.
“You only need one ticket. Five dollars,” Leah Murdoch-Gerics told a room full of reporters as they presented her with the novelty check.
The 58-year-old Hamilton resident said she saw an email from OLG after the April 19 draw, which indicated she had won a prize.
However, he didn’t actually open the email until later.
“When I see OLG emails in my inbox, they usually say I won a free game ticket, but that specific email looked different,” he said.
When she opened the email to check the prize amount, she said she was “suddenly calm”.
“I didn’t know what to do next. I really couldn’t understand this happening to me.”
After showing the email to her husband, she initially thought she had earned $ 60,000.
After she urged him to take a closer look, the reality of victory began.
“At that moment it was clear what he saw! We were both in a state of shock and looked at each other stunned in disbelief,” he said.
The self-proclaimed housewife said the collection is overwhelming for her and her family.
“My husband has retired … but not for long,” Murdoch-Gerics joked. “He has a new job now: to work for me.”
He said one of the best moments after the victory was the look on the faces of his children after breaking the news.
“It was to see the shock on their faces when they realized they can enjoy all the excitement without the responsibilities,” he laughed.
Murdoch-Gerics said he understands he has to “use the money wisely” in the long run, but plans to offer a vacation to his family in the near future.
“I don’t see any major change in the immediate future because who knows where we will be in a year’s time,” he said. “This is just an emotional journey that begins with disbelief and turns into emotion. I feel so humble and honored to be in this place right now.”