New Zealand’s newest Powerball multi-millionaire, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a regular MyLotto player and has been playing his own numbers for years, but on Saturday he decided to mix things up a little by buying a Power Dip.
On Sunday morning, he decided to check his ticket before climbing out of bed, never believing he’d actually be a winner.
“I didn’t even know that Powerball had been won – never mind that it was won in Timaru,” he said.
“I watched my ticket as one number circled, then two, three and four, until all of the numbers were staring back at me!”
The man was shocked to see $7,333,333 stamped at the top of his electronic ticket.
“I couldn’t believe it, I sat bolt upright and kept saying ‘oh my goodness’ over and over – you never think it’s going to be you.”
With his win claimed, the man carried on with his usual Sunday routine.
“It was so hard keeping it to myself while I was around town on Sunday.
“You dream of this moment all your life – but I never realised how difficult it would be not to shout it from the rooftops,” he laughed.
The man spent the rest of the evening thinking about what he’d like to do with his new-found fortune.
“This win is really going to help my family, and I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when I share the news.
“I’m also looking forward to doing some fun stuff like taking some trips overseas, but I think I’ll start right here in my backyard with a scenic flight around the beautiful South Island.”
Saturday's $14 million Powerball jackpot was split by two MyLotto players from Timaru and Auckland, who each took home $7.3 million.
