Retired gym teacher buys winning lottery ticket at the last minute, wins $40M

Bernard Morissette, a retired gym teacher from Quebec’s Outaouais region, has been playing the same lottery numbers for years. In a stroke of luck, he made a last-minute purchase that earned him an incredible $40 million jackpot.

Morissette was one of two winners of a record-breaking $80 million Lotto Max jackpot, which was split between two tickets—one in Quebec and one in Ontario. Each winner from Tuesday night’s draw received $40 million.

Despite almost forgetting to buy his ticket, Morissette, who is in his 80s, remembered around 9 p.m. on the night of the draw. He quickly bought his ticket online, using his usual set of numbers, which are based on family birthdays.

The next day, a Loto-Québec representative contacted Morissette with the life-changing news that he had become a multi-millionaire. Excited, he immediately told his wife Rachel that they had won, though their children were initially skeptical of their father’s newfound fortune.

On Friday, Morissette traveled to Montreal by limousine to share his excitement with reporters. As an avid sports fan, he revealed plans to attend professional soccer matches in Italy. He also intends to use his winnings to secure his children's future.

There has been no announcement yet from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation regarding the other winner in Ontario.