Toronto man keeps $35M jackpot win a secret for more than a month

Twenty-nine year-old Ginno Torres collects his $35-million Lotto Max cheque today, after purchasing the jackpot winning ticket on June 22.

TORONTO -

For weeks, a recent Toronto college graduate sat quietly, waiting for the jackpot winning cheque that would seal his fate as a multi-millionaire.

Now, it’s official. The 29-year-old, Ginno Torres, received his $35-million Lotto Max cheque today after purchasing the jackpot winning ticket. He split the $70 million prize from the June 22 draw with another winner in British Columbia.

“I wanted to make sure it was real before I surprised my family and friends with this incredible news,” Torres said in an OLG press release, as he held his life-changing cheque for the first time at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

A few days after the draw, Torres walked into a store in his neighbourhood to check the results of his ticket. At first, he saw a lot of zeros.

“My stomach was in knots as I was thinking about what was happening,” Torres said.

Then, he went to another store to double-check that he did in fact win the jackpot. At the lottery terminal bells started going off. “I was numb,” Torres said, reflecting back on the still-shocking day.

Torres said he wants to take time to navigate how he plans to spend his multi-million dollar cheque, but his family, charity, travelling and a home redecoration are in the cards.

He said he is dedicating a portion of his winnings to charities, which the OLG press release described as “near and dear to his heart.”

Torres said he also plans on commissioning custom-made art from Canadian Indigenous artists and travelling the country. When it’s safe to venture further, Torres is eager to visit Europe and Asia.

But, he said his top priority is his loved ones. “I am going to make sure my family is taken care of and I will make some investments to make sure I am well taken care of long into the future,” Torres said.