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Mining workers win $53 million jackpot after “spur of the moment” purchase

<p dir="ltr">It’s said lightning doesn’t strike twice but apparently the lottery does, after a group of miners from Kalgoorlie-Boulder won a share of the $160 million Powerball jackpot - the second time a winning ticket has come from the West Australian mining town.</p> <p dir="ltr">The group of 20 workers had formed a lottery syndicate, chipping in $100 each and walking away with a slice of $53 million in division one winnings on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">With each worker pocketing about $2.65 million, the win has come as a shock to them and their boss, who quipped that he would “run after them” and steal their ticket if they didn’t come back to work.</p> <p dir="ltr">Peter, one of the lucky winners, told <em><a href="https://www.6pr.com.au/exclusive-record-powerball-winner-says-goldfield-syndicate-had-never-played-lotto-before/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6PR Radio</a></em> that the win was “still sinking in”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I only thought we’d won the second division,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This was a one-off because it was a big draw … it was a spur of the moment thing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t believe it, I checked the ticket about 10 times.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He went on to tell <em>9News </em>that it had been “life changing” for all of them and that nobody believed he had won since he’s “a bit of a joker”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chris Wood, the miners’ boss, said he was still in disbelief at the news too.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They’re great workers; it is my best shift,” Mr Wood told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-28/second-goldfields-powerball-winner/101591758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m ecstatic. I’m very happy for each of them. I expect I might lose them, though.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite his concerns, one of the miners has already confirmed she would be sticking around after the win.</p> <p dir="ltr">“‘You know how they say, one Powerball and I’m out of here? Well, it ain’t true,” she said in a video shared on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve known since the start of my shift and I’m still loading trucks.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So yeah, there’s 18 at my work who are now millionaires.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The group, colloquially referring to themselves as the “We Outta Here” Syndicate, pinned their winning tickets on the workplace pinboard, having purchased the winning ticket from a newsagency in Boulder, 600km east of Perth.</p> <p dir="ltr">They aren’t the first to rake in a massive lotto win in the town either, after 250 Kalgoorlie residents pooled their tickets to claim the $63 million jackpot in February.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for the remainder of the $160 million Powerball jackpot, it was split between two winners - a NSW dad and a man from Clyde, Victoria, who cried “tears of joy” upon hearing the news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh my god, oh my god. I can’t believe this!” he cried.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Holy s**t! Far out! I’m absolutely speechless.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I never thought I’d get this phone call. This has changed my life!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The winning numbers for Thursday’s Powerball draw were 10, 4, 12, 18, 2, 34, and 7, with 7 being the Powerball number.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-073fd90c-7fff-e474-e68b-8c2563e4fd6d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / 7News</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Woman shares why she planned to sue after winning multi-million dollar jackpot

<p dir="ltr">A UK woman who won over a million dollars through the lottery has described it as a “twisted fairytale” rather than a dream come true.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jane Park, who won the £1 million Euromillions lottery in 2013, said winning big isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, revealing that she has been blackmailed and threatened with violence ever since, per <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/19570621/jane-park-lottery-pleas-money-strangers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lottery should come with a health warning similar to smoking or drinking,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I understand they can’t make winning sound awful but they have a responsibility to not mislead the public.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After threatening to sue Camelot, the company that sold her the fateful ticket when she was just 17, prompted changes preventing those under 18 from having a gamble, she said the change doesn’t go far enough.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Park also wants ads for the game to be aired later at night - rather than during time slots that kids will be watching - and thinks that Lotto chiefs shouldn’t wait until someone wins to warn players of what’s in store.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The adverts should be aired later in the evening and advertising should be out of the way from children,” she said,</p> <p dir="ltr">“It sounds silly but children dream of either being famous or winning the lottery, and if it wasn’t so glamorised maybe there would be more ambition rather than gambling.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People always refer to the lottery as ‘playing the lottery’, but it’s not ‘playing’, it’s just plain gambling, apart from picking some number there is no game element to it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How it wasn’t held to the same legislation as gambling from the beginning baffles me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Park revealed that she is bombarded with pleas for help in the form of cash from strangers and that she’s even proposed to on a weekly basis.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It may be parents with terminally-ill children or needing life-changing surgery. Uni students want me to pay for their education,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also get a lot of marriage proposals, I’d say I get at least one a week. It’s not from anyone interested in me, it’s from people interested in the money.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Edinburgh native has previously spoken about her fight to increase the age limit, which she had planned to take to court until her cause became the subject of media attention.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was prepared to go to court to get my argument known, but the media attention it received got my point heard by the right people and I didn’t need to go that far in the end,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know that is directly because of the attention I brought to the subject.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Part one of my mission was to have the age range increased, part two is to try and make advertising the lottery more truthful.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She added that it’s “wrong” that the lotto is glamorised as “dream come true money”, when in reality she described it more as a “twisted fairytale” where strangers ask about her bank balance daily.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m proud that I have invested my money wisely and nine years later I’m still living a good life,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It just feels like people are waiting for the day I become broke and homeless, but I won’t let that happen.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson for the Department of Media Culture and Sport said the law was changed so that only those over the age of 18 could take part in the National Lottery, up from the previous minimum age of 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The National Lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission and we will not hesitate to act further if we consider it necessary,” they said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ecf45aca-7fff-7df7-9cbc-ec78fdfc4615"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @janeparkx (Instagram)</em></p>

Money & Banking

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No returns! Gifted lottery scratchie causes family rift after jackpot win

<p dir="ltr">A typical stocking stuffer has resulted in chaos after one man’s wife insisted they were entitled to the winnings from a scratchie they gifted.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man posted to Reddit community ‘Am I The A**hole’ seeking advice, as the $5 scratchie he gifted a cousin as part of their family’s stocking stuffer exchange resulted in the 23-year-old winning the jackpot of US$50,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man felt “elated” at his cousin’s win, telling the community, "I scooped him up in a big bear hug and said Merry Christmas you lucky a--hole. He was screaming and his mum was actually in tears and the whole room was excited. It was literally one of the top ten experiences of my life."</p> <p dir="ltr">The excitement was short-lived, however, as his wife quickly texted him asking him to come out to the car. Once there, "She told me there is no way that we are giving my cousin [$70k], then starts fussing at me about buying the lotto tickets to begin with.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He then explained that he and his wife are financially comfortable and didn’t need any more money, although it would be “nice to have”, while the amount would be “life-changing” for his cousin. "His mum is single and was one of those fiercely independent women who refused charity. She took on extra jobs to help him pay for [university]. He worked at least two jobs himself while going to school full-time and still managed [the] Dean's list," he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But he still had to take out loans. He landed a job, but he can't afford a car yet or to live close to the office, so he's looking at nearly a two-hour commute. He's also saving for an engagement ring for his sweet girlfriend of three years. This money would literally change this kid's life and frankly I think it couldn't have gone to a better member of my family."</p> <p dir="ltr">The man tried to explain to his wife that they didn’t gift the money to his cousin, just the $5 scratchie, but she refused to let it go. "She is now demanding I go back in there and take the ticket back from him, saying maybe we'll give him some of it. We argue a little bit, I can't get her to explain why she wants this money so bad other than, 'It's ours and you're not giving it away.'” They fought the whole drive home and haven’t spoken much since.</p> <p dir="ltr">Reddit users were quick to side with the man, with many shocked at his wife’s behaviour. One user wrote, "You don't take gifts back when you realise they are worth more than you thought,” while another said the ticket “legally” and “morally” belonged to the cousin, and that there were "witnesses who saw you give the ticket to him as a gift and saw him scratch it and subsequently win."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: BanksPhotos</em></p>

Money & Banking

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“Miraculous” lotto win saves Sydney man’s livelihood

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Sydney man will be able to stay in business after a “miracle” lotto win saw him receive more than $1 million.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 50-year-old said he was on the brink of losing his business and one of thousands struggling during Sydney’s extended COVID-19 lockdown.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I have been in business for almost 30 years but due to the devastating impact of COVID-19, I was about to go under,” he told lotto officials after his win.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I feel like this win is an absolute miracle that has saved my life, and I won’t let this opportunity go to waste.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I will put the money towards paying off debts and saving my business.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The winner took part in The Lottery Office’s USA Power Lotto via The Lottery Office app, taking home a division two prize.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After accidentally selecting a multiplayer game for an extra $3.25, the man’s prize was doubled and came to a total of $1.6 million.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lottery Office chief executive Jacyln Wood said the man struggled to sleep after he received the news.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The player said the recent lockdowns had been a massive blow to his hospitality business and he had suffered numerous sleepless nights figuring out how he could continue to support his family and staff,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He emailed us straight after the app notified him of the win, he knew he had won a big prize, but he wasn’t ready to believe it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When I called him this morning, he was in tears from the moment I confirmed how much he had won.”</span></p>

Retirement Income

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How a Sydney mum spent her $107 million lotto win

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After winning Australia’s largest ever individual lotto prize, a Sydney nurse has revealed just how she has spent the money and its effect on her life so far.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In January 2019, the woman was the only person with a division one winning entry in a massive Powerball jacket, seeing her take home $107 million.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though most might consider quitting their jobs with that much cash to their name, at the time the Sydney mum said she would still go to work the next day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She has continued to work and has been enjoying “little luxuries” in the two and a half years since her win.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m still working and my husband is also still working. We both love our jobs!” she told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thelott.com/real-winners/powerball/what-its-like-to-tell-your-family-youve-won-107-million" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Lott</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having always been passionate about giving back to the community, the woman said she and her husband have been using the prize to do just that.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In those weeks after our win, I walked down the street and I knew that just about every second person bought a ticket into the draw, and I know that I won their $10 or $15 and that really resonated with me,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Paying it forward is really important to us because if you change one person’s life, you have the potential to change the whole community.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have already made some really important donations, and we’re always thinking a lot about what we want to support next.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We watch the news and we read the papers, and we literally keep a notebook of causes we know we want to help on a grassroots level.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It makes you feel incredibly privileged, and it is what we’ve always done anyway, but now we can just do so much more.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The couple have been using some of their funds to purchase a new home, which the woman says will become a family home for generations to come.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every time I walk into my beautiful home is a pinch-me moment,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every time I come home and I remember that this is my house and I never have to move my family is something that I will never take for granted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And seeing the relief on my husband’s face. We’ve both worked so hard for so long, and to never have that financial stress, to be able to take that away from him, that is just priceless.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The woman added that she’s now enjoying the little luxuries in life, such as buying fresh flowers and nicer bottles of wine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And having the ability to travel with the children is incredible,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We never thought we’d be able to afford to do that.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was always out of reach for us, so to have those memories is priceless!”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: The Lott</span></em></p>

Retirement Income

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Builder wins $200 million in EuroMillions jackpot

<p>A builder who won a £105 million (AU$200 million) EuroMillions jackpot has pledged not to stop working after receiving the “life-changing” windfall.</p> <p>Steve Thomson said he was “on the verge of a heart attack” when he realised he had won the lottery.</p> <p>Thomson and his wife Lenka said their priority would be buying a new house with a bedroom each for their daughter and two sons, who currently share in a “shoebox” three-bedroom house in West Sussex.</p> <p>“Everyone is going to have a good Christmas,” Thomson said. “Not sure what we are going to do, I am not cooking, Mum is not cooking, Lenka is not cooking. Christmas will be good this year, it really will.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">NEWS: EuroMillions results LIVE: Winning numbers for lottery jackpot for Tuesday November 26 - <a href="https://t.co/HQOEdeQZh8">https://t.co/HQOEdeQZh8</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z7uH7JVvbA">pic.twitter.com/Z7uH7JVvbA</a></p> — EverythingNorthEast (@everything_NE) <a href="https://twitter.com/everything_NE/status/1199417058460614661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The 42-year-old said he would be “sensibly generous” with the money prize. “It’s so much money, I am going to be generous. I live in a small village, I do not want to leave the village, whatever I can do for the village, I will,” he said.</p> <p>“I have to be sensibly generous. I still can’t get my head around it, one [million] would have done but I have got 105, it’s just amazing.”</p> <p>Thomson said his children had their requests after learning about the jackpot. “My eldest’s reaction, he’s a very sensible kid, he said: ‘Dad, can I have my own room?’ I said: ‘No problem, of course you can son.’ My middle son said: ‘Can I have a Tesla,’ and my daughter asked for a pink iPhone and she’s going to get that.”</p> <p>Despite having become wealthier than famous figures such as Emma Watson and Ronnie Wood, Thomson said he would not stop working as a builder immediately and would complete all his jobs before Christmas.</p> <p>“Once I am over the shock I will need to keep doing something, I am not the type just to sit still. My business partner knows that if he needs a hand I’ll be there,” he said.</p> <p>“At the end of the day I’m still Steve – and she is still Lenka – that is not going to change. We’re just better off financially.”</p>

Retirement Life

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"My endless lunchbreak starts now": Aussie wins second biggest lotto haul

<p>A Sydney-based father will be counting his blessings after discovering he’s won $96 milllion. </p> <p>The unnamed man, located in Chatswood in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, won the whopping amount in the Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw 1447, which was drawn on Wednesday. </p> <p>The office worker was initially stunned by the response when he was contacted by officials while working at his job. </p> <p>“You’re sh*tting me,” he said.</p> <p>“I can only say holy sh*t.</p> <p>“Jesus Christ! I’m at work at the moment so I wasn’t expecting this phone call.</p> <p>“I’m shaking. I’m just waiting for someone to tell me I’m being punked.”</p> <p>The Chatswood man said the only way to describe how he was feeling after the monumental win was “stunned.”</p> <p>“I just really don’t know what to say.</p> <p>“I know a number of people who are going to be extremely happy when I tell them I have won.</p> <p>“I can’t wait to call my wife and tell her I have won. I don’t think she’ll believe me. I’m a bit of a prankster, so she’ll probably think I’m pulling a fast one.”</p> <p>The lotto winner admitted he plan on quitting his day job. </p> <p>“This is going to change my life immeasurably,” he said.</p> <p>“I’m going to look after my kids and make sure they are set up for the future.</p> <p>“Then I am going to find the most outrageous holiday I can think of to take myself on. I’ve always wanted to travel so maybe I’ll work my way around the world.</p> <p>“It’s unlikely that I am going to finish the day out at work. I’m pretty sure I’ll quit. My endless lunch break starts now.”</p> <p>The man purchased his entry of one  random number online at thelott.com. </p> <p>He is the second biggest individual lottery winner in Australian history. </p> <p>The biggest jackpot winner is a Sydney mother who won over $107 million back in January. </p> <p>She was working as a healthcare professional at the time and admitted she had no plans to retire, simply because she loved her job. </p> <p>“It will drive me to do more for causes important to me,” she said.</p> <p>Image <span>Source: The Lott</span></p>

Retirement Life

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Adelaide man's insane $110 million Powerball bonanza – wins 20 times!

<p>Two out of the three winners of Thursday’s $110 million huge Powerball draw are still yet to be identified.</p> <p>The winning jackpot numbers have been announced as 6, 13, 1, 11, 23, 27, 16.</p> <p>One young Adelaide man scooped up the division one prize but scored division two 19 times – skyrocketing his total prize money to an eye-watering $37,602,912.26.</p> <p>“Wow,” he told The Lott.</p> <p>“Thank you so much. That is incredible. I can’t believe that. I am shaking so much. This is going to change so many lives.”</p> <p>A Victorian resident and a player from NSW are still yet to step forward for their share of the winnings.</p> <p>“Imagine going to bed a multi-millionaire and not knowing it? That is the reality for two Australian lottery players,” The Lott spokesperson Bronwyn Spencer said.</p> <p>“The division one winning entry from Victoria is unregistered, which means we don’t have any way of contacting the winner to break the life-changing news and have to wait for them to come forward to claim their prize,” Spencer added.</p> <p>“While the New South Wales entry was purchased online, unfortunately we don’t have their complete contact details, so we are unable to make a mind-blowing phone call to them this evening.”</p> <p>The massive jackpot on Thursday saw Australians all over rushing to get their hands on an entry ticket, with Matt Hart from The Lott telling <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/wealth/powerball-lotto-110-million-jackpot-lottery-fever-hot-spots-to-buy-tickets/news-story/e9592d0eb03c14a3d7b3f3954cbc64d1">news.com.au</a> the number of players surged after the jackpot skyrocketed to $80 million.</p> <p>“When Powerball hits high jackpots like this it’s not only regular players who are keen to grab an entry,” The Lott’s Matt Hart said.</p> <p>“Last week, the peak of sales on the day of the draw was at 6.44 pm when more than 4700 entries were sold in 60 seconds.</p> <p>“That was about 45 minutes before the draw closed, so a lot of people were leaving it to the last minute.”</p> <p>The first winner to claim their prize said a round-the-world first class holiday was long overdue for his family.</p> <p>“I’ll also pay off my family’s mortgages and donate heaps to charity,” he said.</p> <p>The jackpot was the biggest prize ever offered in Australian lottery history, with one in three adults estimated to have purchased a ticket for the draw.</p>

Money & Banking

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Lotto “winner” who claimed $4.5 million jackpot is exposed for using fake ticket

<p>A British man has been charged with lottery fraud after nearly a decade for using an alleged fake ticket to claim a $4.5 million jackpot.</p> <p>Hertfordshire Police said 53-year-old Edward Putman had been charged with fraud by false representation after an investigation into the incident that occurred in 2009.</p> <p>The winning numbers 6, 9, 20, 21, 31, 34 were drawn on March 11 and matched a ticket bought in Worcestershire, about two hours away from where Mr Putman was living at the time.</p> <p>When no one came forward to claim the prize, Mr Putman saw it as an opportunity to take the jackpot for himself. The £2.5 million ($4.5 million) was paid out by National Lottery operator Camelot, even though the ticket Mr Putman provided did not have a working barcode.</p> <p>“In 2015 an investigation was opened by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit after evidence came to light that the claim was not genuine,” police said in a statement.</p> <p>As reported by <em><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/11/lotto-winner-charged-fraud-claiming-25m-jackpot-almost-10-years/">The Telegraph</a></em>, at the time of the incident, Mr Putman asked for “no publicity” after winning the jackpot. With the money he obtained, he went on to purchase two homes in the village of Kings Langley – one for £600,000 ($1.1 million) and another for £400,000 ($730,000). He also went and bought over a dozen cars.</p> <p>The issue is said to have been “immediately brought to the attention of the Commission and police” and after conducting an in-depth investigation, the UK Gambling Commission fined Camelot £3 million ($5.5 million).</p> <p>Mr Putman was reportedly arrested in 2015 but released without charge.</p> <p>The investigation conducted by the Commission concluded that “whilst it could not be certain a fraud had taken place, it was more likely than not that a fraudulent prize claim had been made and paid out” on a “deliberately damaged ticket.”</p> <p>“The Gambling Commission’s chief concern is to ensure the National Lottery is run with integrity and that player interests are protected,” Commission chief executive Sarah Harrison said in a statement at the time.</p> <p>“Camelot’s failures, in this case, are serious and the penalty package reflects this. Importantly, the package also ensures that good causes will not lose out as a result of Camelot’s licence breach.</p> <p>“Lottery players can feel reassured that our investigations have found no evidence of similar events happening and that controls are in place today to mitigate against future prize payout failings of this type.”</p> <p>Mr Putman was released on bail to appear at St Albans Magistrates Court on October 16.</p>

Technology

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68-year-old man finds winning $30 million lottery ticket in shirt pocket

<p>A 68-year-old man in the US has made an incredible discovery in his shirt pocket, finding a winning US $24 million (NZ $30.3 million) lottery ticket, days before the deadline.</p> <p>New Jersey resident Jimmie Smith reportedly often bought tickets without closely checking the results, stashing them in his shirt pocket out of habit.</p> <p>The New York Lottery gives winners 12 months to claim their prize, and had Smith waited another 48 hours the winning ticket would’ve expired for good.</p> <p>The gaming commission knew the winning ticket was out there, and had put the call out on social media to make sure entrants had checked all their tickets.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Play <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LOTTO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LOTTO</a>, been to TriBeCa? Check your tickets to see if you’re a $24M winner! Your winnings expire on 5/25/17! <a href="https://t.co/jMAy3GYlmi">https://t.co/jMAy3GYlmi</a> <a href="https://t.co/qtC0tJcS4c">pic.twitter.com/qtC0tJcS4c</a></p> — New York Lottery (@newyorklottery) <a href="https://twitter.com/newyorklottery/status/865668290143596545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Smith, a retired security officer, reportedly noticed the story in the local news and then went through his shirt to see if his tickets matched up.</p> <p>When they did, he didn’t know what to say.</p> <p>“I had to stick my head out the window and breathe in some fresh air,” he said. “I was in serious doubt. I really had to convince myself this was real.”</p> <p>Smith will receive the winnings in instalments over the next 26 years.</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

Money & Banking

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$10 million Powerball jackpot winner rushed to hospital in euphoric shock

<p>A New Zealand man who won $10.3 million ($AU9 million) in the Powerball jackpot was rushed to hospital after he collapsed when seeing all the zeros in his bank account.</p> <p>Lou Te Keeti, who is in his 70s, said he didn’t really believe he had won the jackpot until the money showed up in his bank account – and then it became a bit too overwhelming.</p> <p>“I hadn’t really believed it until it hit my bank account. I was still thinking this might be a hoax, even though I had an email and had spoken to the people at the Lotto, it didn’t seem real,” he told <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=11893726">New Zealand Herald</a>. </span></strong></p> <p>“But when I opened my computer on Wednesday morning and saw my accounts, most of them were as usual with not much in, then there was this one account with all these zeros.</p> <p>It dawned and I thought ‘whoa, this is for real.’”</p> <p>He then went to do his usual grocery shopping but started to have “flutters”.</p> <p>“I was feeling not myself, quite strange, and they got me in an ambulance and I had all these tests and stayed a night in Tauranga Hospital. I saw all these docs but I didn’t tell any of them that I had just won Lotto,” Te Keeti recalled.</p> <p>His doctor later diagnosed him with a “case of euphoria”.</p> <p><img width="443" height="249" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8f15347bb672c53b36c3f0e69be641dd" alt="Lou Te Keeti with his grandchildren. Pictures: New Zealand Herald" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Lou Te Keeti with his grandchildren. Image credit: New Zealand Herald</em></p> <p>Now a millionaire, Te Keeti said he’s planning to use the money to reopen Treaty negotiations for his family’s Treaty claim.</p> <p>He’s also planning a special 50th wedding anniversary next year with his wife Val and their four children and seven grandchildren.</p> <p>The rest of the money will be used to make sure his family are looked after.</p> <p>Te Keeti said it was a last minute decision to buy the lotto ticket online on July 8.</p> <p>“I saw this email on Sunday from MyLotto but all it said was ‘You have won a prize,’ but I thought it would be about $1000 and thought well that’s great, but the next day I just went to the tangi and carried on as normal. It wasn’t until I spoke to them on the phone I learned the full amount, but it did not hit home until I saw it in the account.”</p>

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