An Ottawa construction worker is $25 million richer after claiming his Lotto Max prize almost two weeks after the winning numbers were drawn.
Gerald Clement, 50, said he spent the last two weeks preparing himself for what his life will be like with $25 million.
"I'm so lucky to have a close-knit network of family and friends that I could turn to in this situation. It took me a long time to process this, and I checked my ticket at the self-scanner about five times," said Clement, who is single and has no children.
Clement claimed his $25 million prize from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. prize center in Toronto on Tuesday.
Clement's winning streak started in January when he won a free play on his Lotto Max ticket.
He kept playing the same numbers month after month, and continued to win free plays in almost every draw for the next eight months. His winning ticket was also a free play.
Now that he's a millionaire, Clement plans to trade in work at the construction site for a leisure life of travelling and golf.
"I'm going to do a hell-of-a-lot of golfing and fishing after this," said Clement, whose past jobs include a stint working in the reader and sales department at the Ottawa Citizen.
Clement bought the winning ticket at Michael's Confectionary on Somerset Street East. He is splitting the $50 million jackpot with a group of 10 people from Lac Saint. Jean, Que.
BC needs to win the lotto max. me in particular. i would find a way to open a canadian bank account and hide my money there. lol.
congrats Mr Gerald
can you imangine the scanner saying you won millons!
Not sure if you care, yet the public use "scanner" can't print that.
Instead, for security reasons (people standing behind you) it indicates you are to see cashier. But why do it that way, because now the clerk can research who you are and tell reporters your name to run in their newspapers! Yet, another reason why it is important to check your tickets only via a pc, checking phone #, or newspaper. Then you don't go to a public store. After all, they wouldn't be able to pay you out of their tiny monitary reserves cash register there! Instead, quietly, without telling other people, print the claim form from a pc and hand deliver, hair and face dressed in disguise, to your state's lottery headquarters. A few weeks later, you'll make a return trip to the lottery headquarters in order to participate in the mandatory (most states require) press interview and promotional enlarged check presentation (though you'll ACTUALLY be paid via electronic transfer to a banking account, since security is ensured, soon thereafter!).
Have you also noticed that most of the multi-million dollar jackpot winners have jobs? I wonder if it ups ones chances to win monies, from the universe's manipulations of energy vibrations to physical manifestation, if a person with money obtaining intention takes on a weekly JOB that generates income.
Congratulations, Gerald, on your big, NET $25 million dollar jackpot winnings -- it's really cool that you don't have to pay any form of taxes on it! Hope you thrill in your monies usage!
Congrats to Mr. Clements on his win.
I agree that Congrats are in order for Mr. Clements!
It would be nice if Pennsylvania got it's first big Mega Millions Winner tonite !!!!!!!!!
I would benefit from having my own hyperbaric chamber for some therapy ! COPD is an incidious disease.
Hey it helps Hines Ward !
It would be nice to help to some other people that need money ........... but the only "collective" that I feel any obligation to is my family unit .............
Best of luck to all ...........
and remember .......... The Only Thing We Have To Fear, Is Congress Itself !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
congrats i wished it was me!
Oneday,
In California, the scanner will simply tell you to obtain a claim form, and won't specify the amount won. Any amount over $600.00 is subject to federal tax, and won't be paid in cash by the retailer.
Although the initial euphoria experienced by lottery winners compels them to let everyone know they've won, it is advisable to keep a low profile, and not to broadcast your new status as a multi-millionaire. Any past lottery winner will tell you that people will come out of the woodwork with some sob story/legal challenge/investment scam or other angle to convince you to hand them your winnings. This is an unfortunate side effect of being instantly wealthy. My sister-in-law won $122,000 in the California Lottery, and even she was approached by strangers, and asked to cough up money. The best policy is to keep quiet, and only donate/grant/gift or settle accounts in an anonymous fashion.
Everybody worrys to much..Enjoy the money and if there are problems by all means move..Simple buy new friends in another city far far away..
Tiggs, worrying shouldn't be a part of winning big money. However, knowledge of proper etiquette is important. You've obviously never won millions of dollars before (nor have I) The attention you will draw if and when you do win lots of money will surprise you. Much of that notoriety involves the efforts of people to obtain a portion of your winnings. Scam artists, charity solicitations, mysterious marriage proposals and specious litigation are cited in stories related by former winners. I agree it's not something to fret about, but being prepared for such behavior is vitally important.
So after I win - if I move to your neighborhood how much would you charge to be my friend?
Zero..Maybe be best to move next to ridge he's always looking for a hand out...