Lottery winner calls boss to quit

A man who won the New Zealand Lotto Power Ball immediately rang up his boss to quit his job.

Ever wondered what you would do if you won the lottery? For many, quitting their jobs must be high on the list. Well, that is exactly what one man did when he discovered that he had won $14.3 million.

The man from Christchurch, New Zealand, won the Powerball prize this weekend, reports the New Zealand Herald.

Upon discovering his winnings, he called his boss to say “I quit”.

He then excitedly told an airport security guard as well as other passengers who were getting on his plane about the massive windfall before flying to Auckland to present his winning ticket.

A spokesperson for the Lotto, Emilia Mazur, said that the man – who wishes to remain anonymous – presented the winning ticket to Lotto official on Monday afternoon.

The man said that he did not know he had won the major prize before checking his ticket, which he had put away in his wallet.

His girlfriend had a lucky feeling on Monday morning, so rung him to tell him to check his ticket, saying she had “a feeling”. He then took her advice and headed straight to the nearest Lotto store.

The anonymous winner said: “The guy at the Lotto store told me I’d won $14,000 and I thought ‘that’s amazing.’ I was so excited that I phoned my girlfriend straight away to tell her.

“While I was on the phone, the guy said to me ‘I’m really sorry, I’ve made a mistake’ and straight away my stomach dropped.

“Then he said, ‘you’ve actually won $14 million’.

“I was blown away – I think we were both blown away.”

He also called up family members to inform them, describing their reaction as “over the moon”.

He told the New Zealand Herald, “I also told a few people I met at the airport – the security guard and other passengers on the plane. I was acting so erratically I felt like I needed to justify my behaviour.

“I had coins in my pocket going through the metal detector and the guard pulled me aside for extra screening. I said to the guy, ‘sorry mate, I’ve just won Lotto, I’m going to collect my prize – I don’t know what I’m doing.’

“Then once I got on the plane, I was sitting in the wrong seat so I had to move and explain to the people sitting next to me why I was so confused. I said, ‘I’ve just won Lotto – I’m freaking out’.”

When he was asked if he planned to quit his job now that his future was financially secure he said “yes, I already have.

“I phoned up and said I wouldn’t be coming back in as soon as I found out.

“I’m sure I’ll find other productive ways to fill in my days beyond the 8 to 5. I like working with my hands so might build myself a workshop to potter around in or do some volunteering as well now I have the time.”

He described how he wants to buy a dream house with five acres and get a pet dog.

“Lots of ideas are running through my mind – anything is possible for me now. I’ll probably still buy a house, and I want to help all of my kids get houses too.”

The winnings is the 19th largest lottery prize ever won in New Zealand.