A Bankstown father is Australia's newest multimillionaire after scooping the entire $100 million Powerball jackpot in draw 1414 on Thursday night.
The lucky winner, who wished to remain anonymous, now holds the title of the second-biggest lottery winner in Australia's history.
The unsuspecting man could hardly believe his good fortune. He initially missed the call from the lottery officials but later answered to receive the life-changing news.
“Wait a second! Wait a second!” he exclaimed in disbelief and burst into laughter. "This is unbelievable! I’ve won $100 million!? Am I dreaming? I’m a millionaire now?!”
Shocked and dizzy with excitement, the father couldn't contain his euphoria. "I’ve slapped my face twice! It feels tight! I’m with my wife right now. She’s in shock. We’re going to struggle to sleep tonight.”
Only one other Australian lottery player has won more than this Western Sydney resident - a Sydney nurse who scored more than $107 million in January 2019.
The lucky winner, the ninth Powerball division one winner of 2023, wasn't the only one celebrating. There were a total of 3,867,940 prizes worth more than $77.61 million won in divisions two to nine in the Powerball draw. Ten lucky division two winners each took home a $216,070 prize.
When asked about his plans, the occasional Powerball player, still in disbelief, said he would continue to work but was also looking forward to buying a brand-new house.
His wife quickly interjected: “Working?! We’re multi-millionaires now! We’re going to buy a new house and set ourselves up for the future.”
The Bankstown dad is looking forward to a future filled with possibilities, courtesy of his newly acquired fortune.
The winning ticket, a 6-game QuickPick entry, was purchased online.
The winning numbers for the draw were 22, 3, 5, 23, 4, 14, and 6, with the Powerball being 17. The total prize pool for all divisions combined was a whooping $178 million.
