MANILA, Philippines – Justin Simporios, a 35-year-old Filipino migrant, won CA$80 million (Php 3.2 billion) in the Lotto Max jackpot. This is the largest individual lottery prize ever won in Canada, according to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC).
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| Photo courtesy: BCLC website |
Simporios lives in Surrey, British Columbia, a city with a large Filipino community. He bought his winning $12 ticket while picking up buns for dinner.
“I’m an immigrant. I came from a poor country,” he said tearfully at a press conference. “With this money, I can spend more time with my wife, daughter, and family.”
A couple of hours before the announcement, Simporios says he “just threw in my resignation through an email.” He was working at a logistics firm in their health and safety department. He wanted them to know that he was “stepping away.”
He plans to buy a dream home in Metro Vancouver after consulting a financial adviser.
“I want to give back to the community,” he said. He and his family are choosing charities to support.
Surrey, where Simporios has lived for four years, is home to over 39,000 Filipino Canadians, according to the 2021 census.
Simporios also wants to pay off his sister’s medical school debt. He dreams of watching basketball star LeBron James play in Los Angeles and taking his family to the Philippines—their first visit ever.
His wife was in disbelief when he told her about the win, especially since their daughter was unwell.
“She was a bit mad,” he laughed.
The winning numbers were 06-10-16-17-30-38-48. BCLC confirms that lottery winnings in Canada are not taxed.
For Simporios, the biggest prize is time.
“As a father, I want to balance work and family,” he said. “Now I can finally spend more time with them.”
— The Summit Express
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