Surrey, Canada — A Filipino-Canadian father from Surrey has become Canada’s biggest solo lottery winner after bagging a record-breaking $80-million Lotto Max jackpot from the May 9 draw.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) confirmed that 35-year-old Justin Simporios claimed the massive prize, which he discovered while checking the winning numbers late at night.
“I saw someone from Surrey had won $80 million and joked to my wife that it might be us,” Simporios said at a BCLC press conference. Moments later, he checked the ticket manually and scanned it with the Lotto! app—only to realize he had actually won. “I cried and shouted, ‘We’re millionaires!’” he recalled.
Despite their daughter being unwell at the time, Simporios immediately woke his wife to share the life-changing news. “She didn’t believe me at first—and was a little annoyed—but she agreed it was worth waking her up.”
A health and safety officer by profession, Simporios has since resigned from his job. He said the windfall represents more than luxury—it’s a chance to uplift the people closest to him.
“I want to help my family and my wife’s family,” he said. Plans include paying off his sister’s medical school debt and helping his mother retire early. “Just giving my family a head start in life,” he added.
Simporios also expressed his desire to give back. “I’ve struggled before and needed help. Now I want to help others, even in small ways.”
The winning ticket was purchased at the Walmart Supercentre on King George Boulevard in Surrey. With the prize in hand, Simporios hopes to tick off personal dreams—watching an L.A. Lakers game before LeBron James retires and taking his wife and daughter to the Philippines for the first time.
But for him, the biggest reward is time. “The real change is being able to spend more time with my family. We want to live with purpose—and give back to the community around us,” he said.