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Shame, the winner was so enthralled that he kept his winning ticket under his mattress before he could make his way to the National Lottery Ithuba offices.

It must feel terrifying and completely electrifying to suddenly have a life-changing piece of paper in your hands, so yes, one needs to keep that thing as safe as possible. I wouldn’t even blame him if he stashed his winning numbers in his undies as he made his way to claim his amazing R23 million.

Ithuba said the Bloemfontein father came forward to claim his Powerball jackpot winnings of R23 044 341.60 from the June 20, draw after spending only R15 on his winning ticket.

Image: Ithuba

Per IOL, the winner – whose identity is being kept private – is employed on a temporary basis and carefully manually selected his winning numbers:

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the numbers on my ticket matched the winning combination,“ the winner told Ithuba.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. This windfall will transform not only my life but also the lives of my loved ones.”

Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza said that this man “defied the odds by selecting his own set of numbers for the life-altering draw and his shrewd intuition and steadfast determination turned a small investment into a life-altering sum of money”.

“This incredible win is even more remarkable considering the winner’s occupation as a temporary worker. His determination and unwavering hope have been rewarded beyond his wildest dreams, catapulting him into a new realm of financial freedom.”

This man may have been blessed, but it is not uncommon for lotto winners to spend everything all at once, leaving themselves more destitute than how they were before the miraculous day.

Ithuba did say, though, that all winners over R50 000 receive free financial and trauma counselling – free of charge adding that all winnings are tax-free – to help them figure out the next best step.

[source:iol]