A Toronto man has claimed his share of a massive $50 million lottery jackpot, four days after the ticket he purchased at a downtown newsstand was declared a winner.
John Addo, who came to Canada from Ghana 20 years ago, picked up his cheque for $16.6 million on Tuesday, saying he was too overwhelmed to claim his prize immediately.
"When I gave the retailer my ticket and she told me how much I won, I went into shock. I immediately went straight home and lay down for awhile to think about it," Addo stated on Tuesday. "Then I called a friend to come over, so that I could tell someone."
Friday's $50 million jackpot was split between Addo and two other winners. Jonathan Hines, from Sarnia, Ont., claimed his $16.6 million share on Monday. Another ticket purchased in Quebec has yet to be claimed.
Addo moved from Ghana to Montreal 20 years ago, before settling in Toronto in 2008 and working at a local industrial cleaning company. He said he would use his winnings to visit his family in Ghana.
The latest Ontario wins add to string of luck the region has had recently, which has seen three $50 million jackpots claimed by Toronto-area players.
A $50 million jackpot was claimed by three Toronto bakery workers in March, while a group of 19 Bell Canada workers won the jackpot in January before nine other stepped forward to claim partial ownership. OLG paid the original group $31.7 million, while ownership of the rest of the prize remains embroiled in a court dispute.
Another $50 million prize was also won by a group of Toronto-area factory workers, who face a similar dispute with an additional claimant.
