Grocery run leads to record $80M Lotto Max win for lucky Canadian

Talk about a bun-believable twist of fate. One British Columbia man's casual grocery run turned into a life-altering moment thanks to a single lottery ticket and a record-breaking jackpot.

What started as a dinner errand ended with happy tears, a resignation letter, and a prize so big, it changed Canadian lottery history. So, who's the lucky winner and how did it all unfold?

Breaking records in British Columbia

It has been a record-breaking kind of time in British Columbia thanks to a recent Lotto Max jackpot. For the Friday, May 9, 2025, drawing, the jackpot had climbed to $80 million.

This, of course, could only take place after lottery officials made changes to the draw game in 2024 and allowed the jackpot to reach a maximum payout of $80 million instead of the previous maximum of $75 million.

So, on May 9, the winning numbers were drawn for Lotto Max, which were 6, 10, 16, 17, 30, 38, and 48. The jackpot had climbed to $80 million, so the anticipation was heavy.

One lucky ticket holder matched all seven of the winning numbers to win the jackpot. That lucky winner happened to be Justin Simporios from Surrey, B.C.

His win happened to be the biggest jackpot ever awarded to a single person in Canada, and it was also the biggest lottery jackpot ever awarded in B.C. The Lotto Max jackpot has reached $80 million before, but two people split the jackpot at that time.

A grocery run led to a big win

Simporios, who was introduced as the big winner at a press conference on Thursday, happened to be doing some dinner prep when he bought the jackpot-winning ticket. The plan was to have burgers with his wife and daughter that night, but he needed to buy buns and cheese.

So, he headed to a Walmart store in Central City in Surrey. While at the store, he noticed that the store also sold lottery tickets, and he decided to buy a $12 quick pick ticket.

Stored winning ticket in a Ziploc bag

That intuition to buy a ticket at Walmart definitely paid off. Later that night, he decided to check his tickets while also trying not to wake his daughter.

Simporios said he was sitting on the bed with a flashlight, trying to check his numbers. Once he determined his ticket matched the winning numbers, he joked:

I shouted. I cried. I turned out the lights. My wife was mad again.

He wasted no time as he quickly signed the ticket, took a photo of it, put it in a Ziploc bag, and then hid it under his pillow. Simporios told lottery officials, “It was with me all the time.”

The first thing he did before claiming the prize

In anticipation of the press conference on Thursday, Simporios said he decided to send in his resignation letter through email for his job. He said he was working at a logistics firm in their health and safety department but wanted to let them know he was “stepping away.”

In the end, it's all about him now being able to spend more time with his family. He stated:

“I'm an immigrant. I came from a poor country. Like, this money's a lot, right? I've been struggling. I'm a father. I work full-time. With this amount of money, I'll be able to spend more time with my daughter, with my wife, with my family. Like, it's awesome. I'm just feeling blessed right now.”

At the press conference, he was very grateful for the win and kept saying “thank you.” Simporios said, “I just can't help my tears. But thank you so much, thank you so much. These aren't sad tears, they're happy tears. It's an amazing feeling, it's sinking in now that it's real.”

What are his big plans for the money?

Now that he has claimed the money, Simporios said he plans on buying a “dream home” in Metro Vancouver. That will take place after he sits down with a financial advisor.

He will also be spending time with his family, paying off his sister's medical debt, helping his mother retire early, visiting family in the Philippines, and giving back to the community. He said:

I've struggled before and needed help. Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help wherever we can. This feels like a dream.

He has to have some fun too and since he is an avid L.A. Lakers fan, he wants to see the team play in person before LeBron James retires.

Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.