A Canberra man has come forward to claim a $40 million Powerball jackpot after unknowingly carrying the winning ticket in his wallet for weeks, unaware he had struck one of Australia's biggest lottery prizes.
The man, from the suburb of Woden, held the sole division one winning entry in Powerball draw 1571, drawn on June 25. Because the ticket was unregistered, lottery operator The Lott had no way of contacting him directly, leaving the enormous prize unclaimed as officials publicly appealed for the mystery winner to come forward.
Winner Had No Idea Until He Saw the News
The winner said he had completely forgotten about his ticket and only realised he might be the lucky holder after catching news coverage of the search for an unregistered Canberra winner — nearly two weeks after the draw.
"I completely forgot about my ticket until I saw on the news that they were looking for a winner with an unregistered ticket," he said. "The ticket had just been sitting in my wallet this whole time. I really still can't believe it."
The shock of the discovery clearly hasn't fully settled in. "I just can't believe it, I had no idea until a couple of days ago," he added.
Plans to Keep Working and Save for Future Generations
Despite landing an extraordinary windfall, the winner revealed he has no plans to step back from work. In a decision that surprised many, he said he still intends to keep working and plans to save much of the money for his "future children and grandchildren."
The winning ticket was purchased at the Thistle Kiosk in Westfield Woden — a retailer that has now produced seven division one winners in its history. Current owner Rudy Lu said he had a strong suspicion the winning ticket had come from his shop when news broke of an unregistered winner in the ACT.
"When I saw the news there was an unregistered winner in Canberra, I had a feeling it was us that sold it," Lu said. "Congratulations to the winner, we wish you all the best and hope you spend it wisely."
Lu noted he had sold two of those seven division one tickets within the past two years alone — an remarkable strike rate for a single retail outlet.
The case serves as a timely reminder for lottery players to register their tickets, ensuring prize notifications can be sent directly rather than relying on winners to check results themselves. Had this winner not happened to see the news coverage, the $40 million prize may have gone unclaimed far longer — or altogether.
