They say you should never tell anyone you’ve won money. But a man in southern China has taken it a step further by keeping his immediate family in the dark about the ¥218 million ($46.9 million) lottery jackpot he’s recently won.
“I didn’t tell my wife and child for fear that they would be too complacent and would not work or work hard in the future,” the lottery winner identified only as Mr Li explained to the Nanning Evening News (via Fortune).
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Mr Li reportedly bought 40 tickets for this draw from a shop in Litang – a town with a population of 120,000 located just east of the Guangxi region’s capital Nanning – each one paying ¥5.48 million ($1.17 million), each one featuring the same seven numbers: 2, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29, and 2.
According to South China Morning Post, this diamond-handed operator has repeatedly played these numbers over the past few years simply because they “looked pleasing.” And this time around, his loyalty to the digits paid off in a big way.
When he realised 2, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29, and 2 were the winning combination, Mr Li took a train directly to the state capital where he quietly locked himself in a hotel room over the weekend in preparation for the very moment he’d claim his nine-figure prize.
“I did not leave the hotel because I was afraid to go out and lose the lottery tickets,” he told the newspaper.
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Mr Li made the journey to the Guangxi Welfare Lottery Distribution Centre alone that following Monday, donning a rather comical bright yellow costume to preserve his anonymity while accepting the equally-comical oversized cheque in person and posing for the photo opportunities.
The newly-minted multi-millionaire has already donated ¥5 million ($1.07 million) to charity, although remains undecided on what to do with the rest; he collects approximately ¥171.6 million ($36.78 million) after taxes.
Li added: “I haven’t decided yet, and I will take some time to plan how to use the money.”
China’s central government operates lotteries to raise money for welfare and sports. Players in Guangxi pick six numbers on red balls and one on a blue ball.
