He went to the dairy to buy some lunch and walked out $9 million richer.
An Auckland man, who wants to remain anonymous, checked his Big Wednesday ticket at the shop yesterday, only to discover he had won the jackpot in the mid-week prize.
The lucky punter said he couldn't believe his eyes when 'First Division winner' flashed up as he scanned the ticket.
"I just stood in front of the ticket-checker, blinking," he said. "Then I scanned my other ticket and it said 'Second Division winner'.
"I thought it must have been a mistake, so handed my tickets to the Lotto assistant and said 'you'd better check these for me."'
It wasn't until the retailer stepped out from behind the counter to shake the winner's hand that the man began to realise just how lucky he was.
"As soon as he put the ticket through the machine he couldn't stop smiling - then he shook my hand and gave me a piece of paper showing how much I'd won.
"I was absolutely stunned."
He forgot to buy lunch.
The regular Big Wednesday player often dreamed about winning but he said he never imagined his dream would come true.
"I always hoped I'd win in a 'wish-upon-a-star' kind of way. Then that star turned into a meteorite and hit me in the back of the head."
The man already has a few ideas about how to spend some of his winnings.
"I'm looking forward to buying a new car and a home of my own - and who knows what else?
"But whatever I do, I'll definitely keep working - I love my job and think I'd go a bit stir crazy if I retired right now. It's just going to make life so much easier."
The man collected $9 million in cash and luxury prizes with Big Wednesday First Division and $87,689 with Big Wednesday Second Division. This is the 11th largest Big Wednesday prize ever won.
It is the 12th major prize won so far this year and the fourth time the Big Wednesday jackpot has been struck in 2014.
The winning tickets were sold at Pt Chevalier Lotto Plus in Auckland.
It comes just days after a Hamilton player won $16.2 million with Powerball First Division on a ticket purchased at Countdown Hamilton.
Lotto New Zealand is still waiting for the Powerball winner to claim their prize, which is the 11th largest Powerball prize ever won and the largest prize ever to be won in Hamilton.
Anyone who purchased their ticket from Countdown Hamilton is encouraged to write their name on the back of the ticket and check it immediately at any Lotto outlet, online at MyLotto.co.nz or through Lotto NZ's ticket-checker app.
Players can phone Lotto on 0800 695 6886 if they want to enquire about the best way to claim a prize.
By Natalie Akoorie of the NZ Herald