News writer
Winning a lottery jackpot is a dream come true, but for some lucky winners, the real challenge comes after the jackpot — figuring out how to stay anonymous while collecting their life-changing prize. While most people might opt for a pair of sunglasses or a hat, some winners take things to a whole new level, turning their big payday into a masked spectacle.
From Homer Simpson to Darth Vader, these jackpot winners have gone viral for their creative disguises. But why all the secrecy? Let's take a look at some of the wildest ways people have cashed in while keeping their identity under wraps.
D'oh! Looks like a lucky winner here
When I see this photo, I think of the line from The Simpsons, where Home says:
Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers.
It looks like those lottery numbers paid off for Homer, huh? Not really, but a businessman from central Jamaica decided he was going to dress up as the cartoon icon while collecting his J$258 million jackpot in the Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) game.
D. Williams hit the jackpot after matching all of the winning numbers during the Friday, January 24, 2025, Super Lotto drawing. Those winning numbers were 4, 10, 15, 22, and 30, and the Superball number was 8.
While Homer said, "Dreams are like sausages. If you saw how they were made, you wouldn't want them,” Williams may have a different thought regarding dreams. The new millionaire told lottery officials that the lucky numbers came to him in a dream several months ago. Williams stated:
I've been playing these same numbers since I dreamed [of] them. I wasn't always buying Super Lotto, but since I had the dream, I have been buying those numbers. I had a feeling they would win one day, so even when I buy them and they don't play, I keep buying them.
While Homer Simpson may not have been the smartest of people at times, Williams seems to be making smart decisions with his winnings. He told lottery officials he plans on making some sound financial decisions with his winnings, including investing in real estate properties and expanding his current business.
Wink, wink, jackpot
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this winking emoji mask is worth a little over $1 million — well, $1.15 million, to be exact. This Jamaican woman asked who needs a Homer Simpson mask when you've got the power of a perfectly placed emoji.
The wink may have been an ode to the fact that the Jamaican woman, N. Gray, had just started buying lottery tickets a few months prior to her winning the Super Lotto jackpot. She won the $180.9 million Jamaican dollar jackpot — equivalent to about $1.15 million USD — just six months after she started playing the lottery.
Gray told lottery officials that she started to play the lottery games because she needed some help paying her bills and her debts. She also had an inkling that she might win and I guess that inkling paid off, wink wink.
She explained to lottery officials:
My friends always told me to keep buying, and that I would win because I was always coming close, getting four numbers, so I felt confident that I would eventually find all six numbers.
With the winking emoji mask in place, Gray headed to lottery headquarters to claim her winnings. Now that she had the money in hand, she said she planned on paying off that debt she was worried about and then investing, traveling, and giving back to her community. Despite the millions in winnings, she said she has no plans of quitting her job. She told lottery officials:
Now [that] I've won, I want to clear my debt, invest, and I want to do some traveling. I would like to construct a community center for the youths in my community so they can engage in something productive, somewhere where they can do information technology.
This lottery winner had a 'Scream' of a payday
Screaming is a natural reaction to winning millions — this winner just made sure they looked the part, too. Ghostface usually asks, 'What's your favorite scary movie?' — but on this day, it's 'What's your bank account number?'
Another lottery winner in Jamaica wanted to remain anonymous when claiming their jackpot winnings, but they chose quite the mask to conceal their face. The winner, identified as A. Campbell, donned a mask of Ghostface, a character from the Scream movies with a signature white face and long, wide-opened mouth.
Campbell won $158.4 million Jamaican dollars — equivalent to $1.01 million USD — playing Super Lotto. He bought the winning ticket for $1.48 but told lottery officials he became sick after he found out he won the jackpot. He stated:
I found out [I won] the same night. Normally, I would write down the numbers from the [televised] draw, eat, and then go and check my numbers. I looked at my ticket [that night] and ran into my bathroom and said: 'I won! I won!'
After picking up his check, Campbell said he was to handle the money responsibly. He explained to lottery officials:
I want to get a nice house. I haven't found it yet, but I'll be looking for one soon. I like to handle money. I don't beg, I don't borrow. So, I'm looking at things that can turn over the money. I have a little business, so I plan to make it bigger and buy an apartment. I love to have money.
May the funds be with you
The jackpot has awakened, and this winner has fully embraced the dark side…of financial security. While Darth Vader may have lost the Death Star, this winner just secured their own galactic fortune.
While the Jamaican man wanted to be in a galaxy far, far away, he had to take center stage when claiming his big jackpot win — which worked out to be over $650,000 in USD. The winner — identified as W. Brown — emerged from the Dark Side for a brief moment to collect his money.
The Dark Lord of the Sith bought his winning ticket at the Di Endz Sports Bar in May Pen, which was a new place for Brown. He told lottery officials he normally buys his tickets in Old Harbour or Spanish Town, but he was on the road and just stopped in there.
It worked out for Darth Vader, as that lottery retailer brought him some big-time luck since he has been playing the same set of numbers — 8, 9, 10, 19, 27, and 30 — for the past 20 years. No jackpots in those 20 years, but he said he always knew he would win the jackpot and change his life forever. He mentioned to lottery officials:
Life has always been very rough. I come from a poor family; sometimes, I couldn't attend school because my parents didn't have it, but I told myself that God will help me one day so I can help my family.
God did help him, and it may have been a little bit of the Force being with him also. Brown watched the live draw on television and couldn't believe what he saw. As Brown commented:
I wrote down the numbers and saw that I won! I was excited and said, 'Mi finally hol' him now!' I then had a shower and went to sleep.
After collecting his winnings, Brown still tried to decide what to do with the money. He wanted to figure out what the best thing to do with his money was before spending any of it. He had to figure out his goals, but he did know he wanted to own a bus.
Furry fortune
Forget a financial advisor — this winner's first call was to a costume rental shop. This lottery winner took “hiding from the in-laws” to a whole new level and happened to give me a new life goal: win $30.6 million and still have my family think I'm broke.
The lottery winner in China — identified only by the pseudonym Li — donned the yellow mascot costume when picking up his $30.6 million lottery jackpot. He did this to keep it a secret from his wife and children.
Li had been playing the lottery for about 10 years until he hit it big. He normally plays the same numbers: 2, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29, and 2. He bought 40 tickets for the same drawing — spending just $11 — using those lucky numbers. Each ticket ended up being a $765,000 winner, bringing his total winnings to around $30.6 million.
When collecting his prize money, Li told lottery officials he had his reasons for wearing the bright yellow costume. He said:
I have not told my wife or children. I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in [the] future.
Li started out on a good note with his winnings, as he donated some of the money to a lottery fund that supports vulnerable communities in China. As far as the rest of the money, he didn't have any plans yet, and he never mentioned if he would ever tell his wife and kids about the big win.
Why is Jamaica famous for these disguises?
Four of these five lottery winners that dressed up in disguises all came from Jamaica, so why are these popular in that country? It turns out, it could be a preemptive way to ward off potential crime.
Lottery winners in Jamaica tend to be afraid of having their faces broadcast on television or the internet. Officials say this is because “crime is rampant in the country.”
Fitz Jackson, a spokesman on national security, explained:
People who suddenly get these tens of millions of dollars; it is new to them, and they are afraid that they may be targeted.
Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
Comments