Don't tell my wife, says twice lottery winner

Don't tell my wife, says twice lottery winner

A lucky man from Hsinchu, Taiwan, who previously won a NT$3 million (RM313,643) lottery has now won again, this time netting NT$200 million (RM20.9 million).

The man then took the unusual step of asking the lottery company to keep his win a secret, The China Times, the sister newspaper of Want China Times, reports.

The China Times said that the man did not take the lottery ticket home but locked it in his office desk, knowing that he was the sole first-prize winner of the Taiwan Lottery on Sept. 15.

He checked the ticket several times in private and said it reminded himself of the famous Chinese love song Never Tired of Looking at You.

When he redeemed his prize from the lottery company, he told them to keep it as a secret. "I will find a good time to tell my wife but wish to keep it a secret for the time being," he was quoted by the China Times as saying.

Huang Chih-I, general manager of the Taiwan Lottery, told the newspaper that there have been seven winners who chose not to tell their spouse, four male and three female.

"Men are more likely to hide their good fortune," said Huang.

The man bought the ticket at a lottery kiosk close to a popular temple.

He has been playing the lottery for ten years and has won several prizes in that time ranging from NT$20,000 to NT$3 million (RM2,090 to RM313,643) before his September jackpot.

Huang said the man did not know he was the jackpot winner at first and went to the same kiosk later.

Seeing that the kiosk had posted an announcement to say that it had sold the jackpot ticket, he even comforted himself by saying, "I will be the next lucky person."

It was not until one week later that he checked the prize number on the lottery's website and found that the lucky person was indeed himself.

"I was so excite! d and to ok a long time to calm down," Huang quoted the man as saying.

The man has resigned his job at a private company. He has two young children with his wife, who works.

With the NT$160 million (RM16,730,561) he will have after taxes, the man plans to buy a new house and donate part of the money to charity.
Source: wantchinatimes.com

Published Nov 11 2011