A Filipino immigrant in Canada won $80 million in lottery. Here's what he's planning to do with it
A Pinoy immigrant in Canada shared what he's planning to do with the $80 million he won in the local lottery.
Justin Simporios won the Lottery Max jackpot from the May 9 draw in British Columbia—the largest jackpot ever won in the province and the largest jackpot ever won by an individual in Canada.
"I just can't help my tears," Simporios, 35, said in a studio at the B.C. Lotto Corporation headquarters on May 15, when he was presented with a mock check. "It’s an amazing feeling. It’s real, it’s sinking in now, but it’s life-changing, right? It’s just too much right now, but thank you so much, thank you. It’s not sad tears, it is happy tears.”
Simporios has been living with his wife and daughter in the city of Surrey for four years now after moving from the city of Montreal.
He said he was only buying "quick pick" tickets when the jackpot reached $40 million (PhP 2.2 billion) and up.
On that lucky Friday, he stopped at Walmart in Central Surrey to buy buns and cheese since he wanted hamburgers for dinner. While there, he noticed the jackpot was at $80 million. He bought a $12 (PhP 670) ticket at 6 p.m. and went home.
Simporios said he couldn't sleep that night, as he was worried about his sick daughter. He checked the BCLC website at 10:30 p.m. and saw that someone from Surrey had won the jackpot. He jokingly told his wife that they're already millionaires, but she wasn't pleased.
“Stop that joke right now. Your daughter is sick and she’s sleeping," she said.
Simporios checked the winning numbers one by one against his ticket under the flashlight and saw that it was true.
"Oh, I screamed, I shouted, I cried, I turned on the lights," he said. “My wife was mad again. No, I said, we don’t have to work anymore. Like, this is life-changing."
"And then, yeah, we can’t believe it, it was like a dream," he added.
Simporios told his colleagues he's retiring from their logistics firm. His family also met with a financial adviser and already has initial plans for their money.
That includes buying their dream house in Surrey, which he called his "lucky city," if not in the Lower Mainland; helping his mother have an early retirement; paying his sister's student loans for medical school; and giving back to the community.
Since he's a fan of Los Angeles Lakers, Simporios said he's also hoping to see LeBron James play before retirement.
He's plannning to go back to the Philippines for a family reunion.
“I’ve struggled before and needed help,” Simporios said. “Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can."
“The biggest change will be having more time with my wife and family. We want to live with a purpose—to help the community around us," he added.
