30-year-old Toronto man in shock after huge Lotto Max win
30-year-old Toronto man in shock after huge Lotto Max win
An image of Nishit Parikh with his Lotto Max cheque. (OLG)
A 30-year-old Torontonian is $55 million richer after scoring the Lotto Max jackpot win, and he still cannot believe he won.
“I’m pretty sure I will be checking my bank account a lot to see that amount of money in there. It’s still so unbelievable,” lotto winner Nishit Parikh said in an OLG news release.
While picking up the winning cheque, Parikh told OLG that he usually plays numbers based on significant family dates, but one of the auto-generated numbers sealed the deal for this life-changing prize.
“I purchased this ticket about an hour before the draw closed. The next day I heard on the news that someone in Toronto had won and, of course, hoped it was me,” Parikh said.
Parikh said he couldn’t believe the numbers on the Big Winner screen.
“I was looking at the zeroes, squinting my eyes to do a double take. I think my brain shut down – I was trying to process what was happening,” he said, adding he asked his dad to check the screen too.
“When I scanned it in front of him, he was so excited – he believed it right away. I still wasn’t convinced, so I had him to scan the ticket on his phone in case it was a glitch on my end.”
After seeing that it wasn’t a glitch, the reality sunk in.
“I was overcome with joy. I thought to myself, ‘Now I can finally afford a house in Toronto’,” he laughed, adding that his family is “ecstatic” for him.
As soon as Parikh knew he had won millions of dollars, he said he took the time to seek financial advice on managing that amount of money before claiming the prize.
With the $55 million dollars, Parikh said he can now take care of his family after the “many sacrifices” they made for him to succeed.
“Now I can take care of them the way they deserve,” he said.
But, travelling the world is first on his bucket list, and he has his sights set south of the border.
“I’ve always wanted to see South America and now I can take my time and savour the scenery across the continent,” Parikh said. “I will also make some real estate investments but will take my time to settle into this life-changing win. I want to be smart with this money and live a life that’s as normal and low-key as possible.”
The winning ticket from the Aug. 5 draw was bought at Petro Canada on Markham Road in Scarborough.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
On CTVNews.ca and YouTube: Health journalist Avis Favaro joins our Trend Line podcast, for an in-depth episode dedicated to the growing crises facing the Canadian health-care system.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Montreal police say two men are in hospital Wednesday night with stab wounds after an altercation in a home in the city's Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
Gillian Burnett was almost finished her work day on Jan. 24 when she received a terrifying call about her young son. Waylon, 20-months-old, was found submerged in an outdoor pool at a home daycare near Petrolia, Ont.
A shelter that offers support to sex workers will soon be relocating to Old East Village, and while the move is positive news for the shelter, not all residents feel the same way.
A hearing is underway to determine if Udo Haan is not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan, who was found in the aftermath of the 2018 house explosion in Kitchener, Ont.
Chief Mark Crowell made a presentation at a council meeting Wednesday justifying the proposed $214 million budget for the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
While crews have resumed operations in an attempt to open the Rideau Canal Skateway for its 53rd season, an NCC spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the canal will not open in time for the first weekend of Winterlude on Friday.
Following a suicide bomb blast that killed more than 100 people in a mosque in Pakistan’s northern city of Peshawar, community leaders in Windsor-Essex are reminding people these attacks are rare and should not be simply dismissed as a byproduct of living in that part of the world.
As the City of Barrie prepares for extreme cold to move through the area later this week, local shelters are working on expanding space for those in need.
A new 911 dispatch system in New Brunswick means that now fire departments aren’t getting dispatched to all medical calls leaving residents waiting and first responders in the dark.
A day after Loblaws' price-freeze on No Name products ended, some experts are warning retailers that consumers won't hesitate to find new places to shop if prices are better.
More than four months after Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada, people are still dealing with damaged homes as they wait for help from insurance companies and provincial aid programs.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
A French bulldog that was stolen from a rural property near Kamloops, B.C., three weeks ago has been reunited with her family, according to a Facebook post from the pup's owner.
The suspect in a Tuesday robbery at an Abbotsford gas station is at large, and investigators are seeking witnesses and dashcam video in hopes of finding him.
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health has landed a new role in British Columbia. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was named a deputy provincial health officer for B.C. on Wednesday.
An image of Nishit Parikh with his Lotto Max cheque. (OLG)
