17/05/2025
FILIPINO-CANADIAN WINS RECORD $80M LOTTO JACKPOT
What started as a quick grocery run for burger buns turned into a life-changing moment for 35-year-old Justin Simporios, a Filipino-Canadian from Surrey, British Columbia. With just $12 left in his wallet, he decided to buy a Lotto Max Quick Pick ticket on May 9—and ended up winning $80 million, the largest individual jackpot ever won in Canadian history.
“I shouted. I cried. I turned off the lights. My wife was mad again,” Simporios recalled with a laugh, describing how he checked the numbers with a flashlight while his wife and daughter were asleep. After realizing he had matched all the numbers, he confirmed the win quietly—before joking to his wife that they were millionaires. She didn’t believe him at first.
At a press conference in Vancouver, Simporios tearfully accepted his oversized cheque from B.C. Lottery Corp. and revealed that he had just emailed his resignation hours before the event. “Just giving you guys a heads-up—I’m not coming back,” he told his boss and coworkers, who he said were happy for him.
Simporios, who works in logistics and has long supported his family, called the win “generational wealth.” Among his top priorities: helping his mother retire early, paying off his sister’s medical school debt, supporting his wife’s family, giving back to the Surrey community, and buying their dream home in Metro Vancouver. He also hopes to take his wife and daughter to the Philippines—where they’ve never been—and watch a Lakers game live before LeBron James retires.
“I’ve been struggling. I’m a father. I work full time. I want to go home, I want to spend time with them,” he said. “With this amount of money, I’ll be able to spend more time with my daughter, with my wife, with my family. It’s awesome, man. I’m just feeling blessed right now.”
Simporios’ story has resonated far beyond the winning numbers. For many immigrants, it reflects the sacrifices of everyday life—and how one moment can rewrite a future. “It’s not sad tears, it’s happy tears,” he said. “This is a dream come true.”
Credits: ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news
