A young married couple from Auckland, New Zealand, started their Sunday morning learning they were $17.16 million (US$12.6 million) richer.
The couple, who want to remain anonymous, won Powerball First Division in Saturday night's draw after buying their ticket from West City Lotto in Henderson.
The husband said he was up with his children on Sunday morning while his wife had a "much-deserved" sleep-in. He was on his phone when he saw Powerball had been won by a ticket purchased at one of the stores he and his wife buy Lotto from.
Curious and "bursting with anticipation", he woke up his wife to ask if she had picked up a ticket for Saturday's draw. She said she had and quickly got out of bed to check the ticket straight away.
"My husband and I sat next to each other in bed and I checked the ticket while he read the winning numbers to me. When I realized that we had the first three numbers, my hands started to shake — let alone when we had all six.
"Then I saw we had the winning Powerball number too... we just couldn't believe it. We sat there in total disbelief, checking and rechecking the ticket."
The total win of $17.16 million was made up of $17 million in Powerball First Division and $166,667 from Lotto First Division.
Once they had digested the information, the couple said they got in the car to see family and share the news.
"My husband and I both had tears in our eyes when we arrived, so everyone was pretty worried and thought we had bad news to share. Then we told them we had won $17 million with Powerball and suddenly everyone was crying tears of joy."
To double-check their win, the couple went to their local Lotto store where the self-checker confirmed it. They then tucked the ticket away in a cupboard before taking it to Lotto's head office on Monday.
The couple said the win had changed their lives overnight, and they remained in shock.
"Family is incredibly important to us, so we want to make sure the win lasts for generations," the husband said. "We are just so excited to be able to set up our family for the future — we feel so incredibly lucky."
Lotto New Zealand said this was the 13th Powerball winner and the second-biggest for 2021.
Thanks to dannyct for the tip.
Great story! Anonymous and I believe tax free too!
Sounds like they have a good plan and certainly the money will outlast them since they seem to be planning accordingly.
Now going to NZ website to read about their lotteries. Was on a website that had lotteries from all around the world and looked up a few obscure ones.
That's great news to read! Here's hoping their great fortune last for many generations.
Thanks Kate, for yet another great story on the joys of winning. The visual picture you paint of the couple sitting on the bed reading the numbers with their hands shaking in anticipation is a thing of beauty. Congrats to them both and their family.
Tucked the ticket into a cupboard
Not exactly my first choice ...BUT...it worked for them
Congrats to the both of you !! Enjoy your newly acquired wealth and here's hoping you both get many future Sunday sleep-ins
God Bless this generous couple for thinking of their family and not just themselves. People like this deserve their good fortune.
"Family is incredibly important to us, so we want to make sure the win lasts for generations," the husband said. "We are just so excited to be able to set up our family for the future — we feel so incredibly lucky."
Yes.
What you win is what you get. No tax on winnings in NZ.
OK, so if you put it in the bank so to speak and then withdrew monies, is that taxed? I could swear that's what my Canadian counterparts told me happens there.
Another great day for the stock market and I feel good.
According to NZ gov website: "If you win money from Lotto or Bonus Bonds, you do not have to pay tax on your prize, but you pay tax on any interest you earn if you invest the money."
So bank account interest earned would be taxed, but not the initial prize money.
If, say, you win NZ$17 million -- it is direct deposited into your bank..
You can withdraw money from your bank account without incurring any tax liability on that original NZ$17 million
If (and these days it is a big if with banks) you earn interest on that NZ$17 million.. You will be paying tax on that interest (tax collected by the bank before you see the money).