‘Forgetful' $40M lotto winner from Vancouver had winning ticket sitting in his bag for weeks
Daniel Chau, who won a $40 million LottoMax jackpot is shown in this photo provided by the B.C. Lottery Corporation.
B.C.'s newest multimillionaire claimed his prize Thursday, describing the fateful moment last month when he purchased the winning ticket for the May 23 draw after a run in Burnaby's Central Park.
'Something really pushed me to buy that ticket without any planning,' he said.
That ticket would sit in his bag for another three weeks until a tickle in his throat prompted him to reach for a cough drop earlier this week.
'I buy lots of tickets but I rarely check them. To be honest, I'm very forgetful,' he said, adding that he scanned one ticket that didn't win anything before scanning the second.
'I literally dropped my phone. I have never seen that many zeroes in my life.'
Chau has since shared the news with his partner, who he says was incredulous when presented with a screenshot from the BC Lottery Corporation app.
'It took like an hour to convince them this was my ticket,' Chau said.
'We are, like, walking on cloud nine. We are so happy.'
Amid the overwhelming emotion, Chau said he is also trying to be rational and practical – saying he will be hiring a financial planner to help him figure out how to manage the windfall responsibly.
His plans for the money so far include buying a home for himself and his partner, and one for his parents.
'I want to contribute back to the community, because I know this might be a life-changing experience to me, and I want to use a part of it to change other people's life as well,' Chau said.
Checking some destinations he's been saving up money to travel to off of his 'bucket list' is also something Chau says he looks forward to doing.
For now, he said he's just trying to enjoy the ride.
'It's like a roller coaster. I love roller coasters,' Chau said.
The odds of winning the LottoMax jackpot are one in 33,294,800 per $5 play, according to BCLC.
Chau's win marks the second time in a month that someone in B.C. has taken home tens of millions of dollars.
Surrey resident Justin Simporios claimed an $80-million prize in the May 9 draw, making him the winner of the largest jackpot ever claimed by a single Canadian.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
29 minutes ago
- CTV News
Renters struggling to stay above water
Winnipeg Watch Maralee talks with Michael Froese about why renters are still struggling even as the cost of rent drops.
CBC
44 minutes ago
- CBC
Manitoba sees growth from interprovincial migration for 1st time since 2004
More people moved to Manitoba from other parts of Canada than left during the first quarter of 2025 — a feat the province hasn't accomplished in a quarter since 2004. New data from Statistics Canada says the province benefited from interprovincial migration during the first three months of the year, gaining 106 more people from other provinces and territories than it lost to other jurisdictions. During that period, 4,352 people moved to Manitoba from elsewhere in Canada, while 4,246 people moved away. However, Manitoba's total population rose at its lowest quarterly rate since 2020, as a result of federal policies to curb immigration levels. The province had an estimated population of nearly 1.51 million as of April 1, according to Statistics Canada. Manitoba historically loses more people to interprovincial migration than it gains, but the population still consistently grows on an annual basis, mainly through immigration from other countries. There was a net loss of between 3,500 to 7,000 people annually for the first half of the 2010s, but that number began to grow in later years, aside from a pandemic blip that curtailed travel around the world. It was more than two years ago, in 2022-23, when Manitoba saw a net loss of more than 9,000 people — the highest deficit in decades. In 2024-25, the province lost 2,481 people to interprovincial migration, according to demographic estimates from the Manitoba government. The NDP government took partial credit for Manitoba's interprovincial net gain from the first three months of 2025. Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino said the government has been focused on attracting skilled workers and reducing trade barriers. Marcelino said in a news release that Manitoba is a "welcoming province," attracting people because "our economy is strong and there are opportunities to build a good life." Last year, Premier Wab Kinew suggested his government was open to the possibility of tax credits or incentivizing economic development to counteract the province's long-term interprovincial exodus. Kinew said the government can "move the needle" by growing the economy, creating more jobs, maintaining a low cost of living and extolling the province's draws, such as its arts scene. Lower immigration slows growth While Manitoba saw an increase in migrants from other Canadian jurisdictions in early 2025, the province's population increased by 0.2 per cent — its lowest quarterly rate since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic depressed population growth. Manitoba saw a net gain of 2,749 migrants from other countries, which is down from the increase of nearly 4,200 reported in the last quarter of 2024. The lower immigration numbers reflect the federal government's decision in 2024 to clamp down on arrivals from other countries. Canada's population rose by 20,107 people from Jan. 1 to April 1, the smallest increase since the third quarter of 2020 and an increase so small that it amounted to 0.0 per cent growth, Statistics Canada said. Immigration still accounted for all of the national population growth, as there were 5,628 more deaths than births in Canada.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘Excess of 100 priority projects': Sask. Premier Scott Moe behind federal bill to remove project hurdles
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe speaks to the media during a scrum after a televised leaders' debate in Regina, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has given his support for federal Bill C-5. 'All projects can move forward in Saskatchewan,' Moe told reporters Wednesday during a meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Lloydminster Alta./Sask. 'The very fact Bill C-5 has been introduced is an admission this hard work does have to happen,' Moe added. Bill C-5, which the Liberals have coined the 'One Canadian Economy' bill, proposes to recognize provincial regulations with the aim of making it easier to improve the mobility of goods and services, as well as labour. It also seeks to speed up the development of major projects deemed to be in the national interest. It's the provisions proposing to grant cabinet new powers, with the intention of centralizing approvals for new natural resource projects that are being heavily criticized as undermining Indigenous rights and environmental protections. There's widespread concern among opponents that if Bill C-5 becomes law, projects could be greenlit without adequate consultation, something prairie premiers have been calling for quite some time. 'If we have to build another pipeline with federal taxpayer dollars, that would be a failure of the process,' Premier Smith said Wednesday. 'The federal government simply cannot put so many barriers in the way that all the private sector proponents are scared out of the realm.' 'And the only way for them to come in is to build at six times the original cost. That shouldn't be the only way things get built in this country,' she added. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith address the media during a joint press conference in Lloydminster on Wednesday, June 18. (Chad Hills/CTV News) Prime Minister Mark Carney has pushed the bill ahead in the House of Commons with the possibility it is passed before the end of the week. 'This legislation is enabling and creates the possibility of these projects,' Carney said Thursday during a press conference. 'It creates the possibility [and] a very clear process, which has at its heart consultation.' Indigenous leaders have been critical of the bill. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told CTV's Power Play its passing may override environmental protections. 'Seven days is not enough time to look at a big bill like this that impacts,' she said. 'First Nations aren't about stalling anything. In fact, they want prosperity, but not at the expense of their inherent rights.' Carney believes the legislation respects Indigenous rights. 'At the heart is, not just respect for, but full and full embrace of free, prior and informed consent,' he said. 'It has to be seen in parallel with very major measures this government is taking to, not just support those partnerships, but also to finance, equity and ownership in these nation building projects. [Including] Indigenous peoples, groups and right holders.' Business experts recognized the concerns of the legislation but welcomed the move in the midst of global uncertainty. 'This is a bit of an authoritarian approach to things,' national leader of economics and policy practice, PwC Canada Michael Dobner told BNN Bloomberg. 'But we are in an economic emergency situation.' Moe says there are dozens of projects waiting in the wings for approval which are facing federal barriers the bill aims to remove. 'We don't have one or two or three projects that are a priority,' he said. 'We have literally in excess of 100 projects that are a priority for [Saskatchewan] to continue to be a wealth creator to a strong growing nation of Canada.' The House of Commons is scheduled to adjourn for the summer Friday, and the Senate is slated to rise by next Friday, June 27. Parliamentary business in both chambers would then be paused until September, barring an emergency recall. - With files from David Prisciak, Luca Coruso-Moro, Rachel Aiello and Joshua Santos
