The news of a Chinese man who won a lottery jackpot of about 219 million yuan ($29.9 million) has gone viral on the internet after he appeared in a cartoon costume to receive his winning at the lottery office in Nanning, in the southern region of Guangxi.
According to the man who goes by the pseudonym Li, he is concealing his identity and does not plan to tell his family so that the knowledge of his win does not make them lazy or complacent.
“I have not told my wife or kid, I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in future”, he said.
Li said he has been buying lottery tickets for the past 10 years, and according to reports, he bought 40 lottery tickets at 80 yuan ($11) each.
Using the same seven numbers of 2, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29 and 2 for each ticket, Li emerged as the biggest winner when all seven numbers matched. The payout for the entire tickets added up to about 219 million yuan ($29.9 million)
Li, who has been playing the lottery for around a decade, says this is his biggest win even though he has won a few dozen yuan in the past.
“I only won a few dozen yuan in the past. I regard buying the lottery as a hobby, and my family does not care. Plus, I do not spend much money on it, and the lottery provides a ray of hope for me.”
While hiding his fortune from his wife and kid, the man says he has not yet decided what to do with the money.
He has, however, donated 5 million yuan to charity as a first step even though the Chinese government, by law, will also tax him about 43 million yuan (approx. $5.9 million).
