Nishit Parikh says he “can finally afford a house in Toronto” after he won a $55 million Lotto Max Jackpot.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced Friday that the 30-year-old Toronto resident won the jackpot on the Aug. 5 draw.
Parikh said in the OLG statement that he bought the ticket around an hour before the draw closed and the next day heard that someone in Toronto had won.
He said when he scanned his ticket on the OLG app and saw “big winner,” he didn’t believe it at first and had his father take a second look.
“When I scanned it in front of him, he was so excited – he believed it right away,” Parikh said.
“I still wasn’t convinced, so I had him scan the ticket on his phone in case it was a glitch on my end.”
Then it hit home for Parikh.
“I was overcome with joy. I thought to myself, now I can finally afford a house in Toronto,” he said.
He then shared the news with more family members.
When he plays the lottery, Parikh uses a set of numbers that are comprised of significant family dates, but it was a line of auto-generated numbers that won him the jackpot, the OLG said.
Parikh, who works as a project manager, sought financial advice before claiming the prize, the OLG said.
Now, he plans to take care of his family and explore the world.
“My parents made so many sacrifices for me to succeed. Now I can take care of them the way they deserve,” he said.
“This win gives me freedom and opportunity to spread my wings and see the world,” Parikh added.
“I’ve always wanted to see South America and now I can take my time and savour the scenery across the continent.”
He said he also plans on investing in real estate, but will take time to settle into the win.
“I want to be smart with this money and live a life that’s as normal and low-key as possible,” he said.
He bought the winning ticket at a Petro Canada on Markham Road in Scarborough.