Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation: Lottery winner waited 50 weeks to pick up $30 millionA very cautious Southern Ontario man has won the largest jackpot in Canadian history.
Raymond Sobeski waited almost an entire year before coming forward to claim his prize of $30 million because, he says, he didn't want to "do anything rash."
He won the staggering prize on the Super 7 draw on April 11, 2003. Now the ex-farmer and self-employed computer repairman, says he's ready to become a multimillionaire.
When he was asked how he felt Sobeski - who will only say he's "in his 40s" - said, "A little numb, actually. A little surreal. It doesn't feel like it's really happening."
Sobeski bought the winning ticket at his local corner store in Princeton, Ont., near Brantford. When he found out he had won "I tried to stay calm, not do anything rash."
He says he checked and verified the numbers "about 200 times."
Sobeski held on to the ticket for so long before stepping forward that it was set to expire in less than two weeks.
Lottery officials say they've never had anyone wait so long to cash in, but they understand.
"You know what I think," said Kathy Pittman of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, "he's just a guy that takes his time to make any large decisions. And I guess, ultimately, this is the largest decision he'll ever have to make."
Canada's newest multimillionaire says he wants to take care of his elderly parents, his siblings, and do some travelling.
