An Australian player won a fortune of 50 million local dollars (the equivalent of around R$185 million) in the lottery, but his victory almost became a story of a lost opportunity.
The reason? He simply didn’t believe the organization’s contacts and thought he was receiving spam messages.
The insistence that guaranteed fortune
The saga began when lottery employees tried to call the winner, a resident of the state of Vitória, to tell him the good news.
As the phone number registered in the system was out of date, the team had to use email.
That’s when the disagreement happened: the man ignored the messages repeatedly, convinced that it was an internet fraud.
“I saw the first email and didn’t even open it. I thought it was spam and deleted it,” said the winner, who chose to keep his identity confidential, in an interview with People magazine.
Luckily, the organization didn’t give up on finding him. The insistence generated a spark of curiosity that saved the prize.
“I got another email and thought, ‘Maybe I should check the app’. I’m in shock,” he added.
Lucky numbers and millionaire plans
The correct bet was made with the numbers 5, 6, 18, 9, 14, 4 and 13.
The big highlight was the extra ten in Powerball, the number 14, hand-picked because it has a special meaning: it is the bettor’s favorite number in football.
With a full bank account, the newest millionaire now knows exactly what to do with the cash.
In addition to ensuring the purchase of a new house for his family, he intends to fulfill an old promise.
“I always told my friends and family that if I won 50 million dollars, I would dedicate myself to helping others,” he says.
“It’s almost as if I sent this into the universe!” celebrated the Australian, revealing his desire to find a job or project that supports the local community.
