A man from Surrey in British Columbia, Canada, has taken the largest jackpot lottery prize ever amounting to CAD $80 million. The prize is the largest ever prize given to a single person, and Justin Simporios says it has made many of his dreams a potential reality. He plans to spend more time with his family and will pay off his sister's medical school debt, help his mother retire early, and go on a family trip home to the Philippines - aside from all that, he wants to see an LA Lakers' game before LeBron James retires.

A Surrey resident has become the largest single lottery winner in Canadian history after claiming an incredible $80 million Lotto Max jackpot from the May 9 draw. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation confirmed the win as the largest lottery prize ever awarded in the province - and to a single individual nationwide.

The lucky winner, 35-year-old Justin Simporios, accepted his cheque with tears in his eyes and a heart full of gratitude. "This feels like a dream," he said, reflecting on the life-changing moment.

Sleepless night after life-changing news

Simporios, who describes himself as a deep sleeper, said the discovery left him too excited to sleep. "It was 10:30 pm," he recalled. "I saw someone had won $80 million in Surrey. I joked to my wife, "We're millionaires!" She told me to stop making that joke."

Unable to shake the feeling, Simporios manually checked each of his numbers before using the BCLC Lotto! App to confirm the win. "When I scanned it and saw the result, I cried and shouted, "We're millionaires!"" he said.

He woke his wife to share the unbelievable news. Initially skeptical, her disbelief quickly turned to joy, despite their daughter not feeling well that night. She agreed it was a good enough reason to wake her up, Simporios laughed.

Family first: a promise to give back

As he stood onstage accepting the cheque, Simporios expressed that his first priority would be supporting his loved ones. "I'll pay off my sister's medical school debt and help my mom retire early," he said. My family has always supported me, and now I can give them a head start in life, he added.

He also shared plans to spend more time with his wife and daughter, emphasizing that quality time with loved ones would be the biggest change in his life. I want to live with purpose and help the community around us, he said. "I've struggled before and needed help. If I can give even an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can."

Bucket list dreams: LeBron and a trip home

One of Simporios' biggest personal dreams is to see his basketball hero, LeBron James, play live before the NBA superstar retires. With James nearing the twilight of his career - the 2024 - 25 season would mark his 23rd - the clock may be ticking, but Simporios is hopeful the trip to an LA Lakers game will soon become a reality.

In the meantime, a visit to the Philippines for a long-awaited family reunion is also on the horizon. "My wife and kid have never visited," stated Simporios. That's something we can do now. This is about more than money. It's about making time count, he continued.

Historic win for BC and Canada

Lotto Max, a popular nationwide lottery game known for its massive jackpots, is drawn twice weekly and administered across Canada through provincial lottery bodies like BCLC. While the province runs its own smaller lotteries such as Keno and BC/49, Lotto Max is known for producing the country's biggest wins.

Simporios purchased his ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City, Surrey - a seemingly ordinary place for an extraordinary event. As BC celebrates this historic win, Simporios remains grounded, already thinking about how he can uplift others. I want to help where I can, he emphasized. He added, this win is not just for me - it's for everyone I love and for the community that raised me.