These Lotto Max winners in Ontario snagged a $60 million jackpot!
A group of five co-workers from across the GTA went in on a ticket together, and now, each of them is a multimillionaire.
OLG just announced that the new Lotto Max winners are Trang Pham of Mississauga, Suong Tran of Mississauga, Phong Phan of Brampton, Thuc Le of Toronto, and Zou Hsieh of Scarborough.
The group got a ticket for the Lotto Max draw on January 21, 2025, to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Trang Pham was at the Giant Tiger on Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke buying creamer for the office and decided to buy a Lotto Max ticket for the group.
Then, the next day, she realized they had won $60 million. The Lotto Max winning numbers were 13, 15, 21, 35, 36, 42 and 47.
"I saw in the news that the $60 million Lotto Max winning ticket had been sold in Etobicoke, so I checked ours right away," Pham said.
One of the lines on the ticket matched all seven winning numbers, but she couldn't believe so she checked again on the OLG app.
"When I saw $60 million on the screen, I was in total shock," Pham said. "I took a screenshot and sent it to the group chat right away."
Then, her phone started "blowing up" with messages in the group chat and calls.
Suong Tran was in the parking lot at work when Pham revealed that they had won.
"I thought Trang was teasing us, so I called her. When she confirmed it wasn't a joke, I started shaking and crying tears of joy," Tran said.
Phong Phan was also about to start work when he got the message. "I couldn't believe it," he said. "I even checked the numbers myself. It was hard to act normal that day."
Then, Phan told Zou Hsieh and Thuc Le about the win because they weren't in the group chat.
Phong Phan, Trang Pham, Thuc Le, Suong Tran, and Zou Hsieh with a Lotto Max cheque.Courtesy of OLG
Pham revealed that she wants to buy a home and be more philanthropic with the jackpot money.
"Purchasing a home has been a dream of mine since my parents relocated to Canada. They made so many sacrifices for me, and now it's my time to take care of them," Pham said.
For Phan, it's too early to retire but he wants to take some time off work and travel.
"That's been a dream of mine. I also want to start my own business, so I have a lot to think about. I'll do that while I travel."
Hsieh, on the other hand, quickly decided that he would retire.
"Last year, I was worried about retiring, but now I don’t have to," Hsieh said. "I want to start travelling the world and see it all. I really hope to catch a glimpse of the northern lights along the way."
Le said his first priority is buying a house for his mother and sharing his winnings with his family. Then, he'll get himself a car.
Tran said she needs some time to decide what to do with the jackpot money.
"I have many causes that are special to me that I want to support, so I'll calmly consider all options before making any big decisions," she said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.