Toronto man wins record $68 million lottery win — keeps working without telling co-workers

A Toronto man says he wants to “work less but keep my job” after winning a record $68 million lottery prize.

Noel Patricio is the lucky winner of the September 27 draw, winning the biggest prize in Lotto 6/49 history as part of the Ballon d'Or draw. Despite being a multimillionaire, Patricio wants to continue working two jobs in the household.

“I love the work I do and the people I work with, which makes both of my jobs so meaningful to me. I want to be the same Noel,” Patricio said at the OLG Awards Center in Toronto to receive his windfall.

Despite continuing to go to work, Patricio hid the news from his colleagues because he wanted to “get everything back before receiving this gift.”

“My colleagues would talk about the lottery ticket sold in Toronto, and I wouldn't say a word.” “This is me!” It was too unbelievable to say.”

Patricio, who is celebrating his birthday the week of his prize, is a regular Lotto 6/49 player and bought the ticket during a break from work. He heard the news about an unclaimed ticket purchased in Toronto, so he went to check out the OLG app to see if he could be the lucky winner.

He decided to call his sister to share his news and help him verify his victory.

“I checked my ticket on the OLG app and the Big Winner screen came up. I thought I won $68,000,” said Patricio, who was still at work when he learned of his win.

“He asked me to count the zeros and I told him there were six of them. Then he corrected me and said, “That's $68 million!” said.

Becoming the biggest winner in the history of Lotto 6/49 was a wonderful reality for Patricio. Throughout the workday, he repeatedly went to the bathroom to scan his ticket to make sure the “Big Winner” message was still there.

“I thought, is this a joke? Is this true? Will I wake up from this dream?' Patricio said.

The story continues

“I finished my first job and checked my ticket a few more times between my next shift – it was really cool. And then I was suddenly very worried about where I was going to put this ticket for safekeeping!

Patricio was impressed with his huge prize and decided to bide his time before heading to the OLG prize center to claim it. At that time, he shared this news only with close relatives.

Ironically, the chance of someone named Noel winning the record prize on Christmas Eve is a comical coincidence.

“I came to Canada with a suitcase and a few dollars — it's amazing to think I'm here as a Ballon d'Or Jackpot winner!” I am ready to overcome my excitement and live an exciting life,” said Patricio.

With his windfall, the winner wants to give his family a better life—he starts by taking them all on vacation to Italy. He also wants to buy Raptors season tickets, travel and watch Rafael Nadal play live, and renovate his current home.

The winning ticket was purchased at Hasty Market on Church Street in Toronto. The winning Golden Ball numbers were 50755138-03.

The Ballon d'Or draw is a new format introduced in September 2022 and guarantees a winner every time. It starts at $10 million and includes 30 balls in the draw: 29 white and 1 gold. Each white ball is worth $1 million, while the golden ball represents the lucky jackpot prize. This Ballon d'Or jackpot continues to grow by $2 million every time a white ball is drawn, until it reaches $68 million, with no white balls left – guaranteeing a winner like Noel Patricio.

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