‘Don’t have a heart attack’: Previous big Lotto winners give advice
Friday, 7 June 2024
People across Aotearoa will be dreaming of what it might feel like to take home $50 million in Lotto’s must be won draw on Saturday.
If won by a single ticket, the jaw-dropping must be won Powerball jackpot will be the largest prize ever won in Lotto NZ history.
Two people who know exactly what it feels like to win big, are the Auckland and Hawke’s Bay winners of February 2020’s historic $50 million.
The pair shared the jackpot, taking home $25.1 million each.
Their advice is to tell only those few people who are closest to you and get professional financial advice following a big win, but they also say having some fun is important.
“Keep your circle small, but definitely share the news with someone, you will need the support of at least one other person to get you through those first weeks.
“For me, that was so important, it gave me people to talk to and bounce ideas off while I got my head around the whole thing,” said the Auckland winner.
“My advice for future winners would be to get some good advice from people you can trust, like financial advisors and lawyers,” the Hawke’s Bay winner added.
“But also have some fun and do things that you may not have been able to do before your win. It could be something you’ve always wanted to buy but have never been able to afford or even just having an extra meal out with your friends and family,” she said.
A couple from the Hibiscus Coast who currently hold the top spot for winning Lotto NZ’s largest prize, after scoring themselves $44.06 million in 2016, said that eating and sleeping should be a winner’s top priority in those early days following a win.
“First of all, don’t have a heart attack. That’s the most important thing to remember,” they said.
“But seriously, my best piece of advice is to remember to eat and sleep in the first two weeks. It’s the little things like that that are easy to forget in the early days after a big win.
“Finally, the best thing we did was get good financial advice. Make sure they’re on the same wavelength as you and go into the conversation with a good idea of what you want to do long-term.”
The $50 million Powerball prize must be won on Saturday night, so one or more lucky New Zealanders are guaranteed to win big.
“This is a life changing amount of money and we know people all over the motu will be dreaming about what they would do if they won $50 million with Powerball this weekend,” said Lucy Fullarton, Lotto NZ’s head of corporate communications.
“Stores will be busy from mid-afternoon on Saturday and lots of people will also be jumping online to grab their ticket from around 6.30pm through to when sales close at 7.30pm.
“Our advice to anyone wanting to buy a ticket is to get in early and avoid the rush,” Fullarton said.