Bon Truong of Edmonton is $60 million richer, having claimed on Wednesday the Lotto Max jackpot from the Oct. 26, 2018 draw.
"I'm still shocked right now," Truong said at the official announcement. "I’m really happy but still shocked."
Truong played using the same set of numbers for nearly three decades, buying a lottery ticket each week. He checked his numbers online then confirmed with a print-out from his local Sobey's.
He signed the ticket and kept it in a safety deposit box while deciding what he would do with so much money.
Finally, 305 days later, Truong claimed his prize at the Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis office in St. Albert Wednesday. The ticket would have expired in just two more months, a year from the draw date.
Truong's niece Mina was at the celebration, and said it's wonderful to see this happen to someone who came to Canada from Vietnam with nothing.
"He's a landscaper and my dad's a landscaper, so that's all they did, work and save money to buy a house and live their lives here and have a better life for their children, and to play the lottery," she said. "And after 30 years, finally pays off, you're just really happy for them."
Truong plans to pay off his mortgage and take a holiday, then life will mostly return to normal.
"I'm still young, I’m still strong," Truong said. "After all this, I'll be back to work."
Of the 10 biggest wins by Albertans, Truong is only the third winner from Edmonton or Calgary.
