If you won an enormous lottery jackpot, could you keep it a secret from your friends and family?
Doug and Enid Hannon did just that, successfully keeping their $70 million Lotto Max win under wraps from their entire family for nearly two months.
The couple, who has been married for 51 years, are Ontario’s newest multimillionaires after hitting the massive jackpot from the February 20 draw.
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A special winner celebration was held near the Hannons’ hometown of Lakefield, Ontario. There, they shared how they discovered they were holding a lottery ticket worth $70 million and how they kept the multimillion-dollar secret for so long.
Enid had purchased the Quick Pick Lotto Max ticket at a grocery store, but it was Doug who discovered the big win the day after the draw when he checked the ticket on the OLG app.
“I was completely unaware that a winning ticket had been sold in our area. So, when I saw ‘Big Winner’ on the phone screen, I was shaking!” he said. “My heart was pounding. I had to stare at it for a while and process all those zeroes. Then I had to check it a few more times.”
The retiree decided not to mention anything to his wife until she got home from work.
“I went to the garage and buried my head in some work while I struggled with disbelief and thought about our next steps,” Doug recalled.
He made sure a prize-winning dinner was ready when Enid got home and waited until after they ate to share the news.
Enid had a vivid recollection of that life-changing moment.
“Doug told me to come into the computer room and the OLG website was on the computer screen, and he told me to check the numbers on [the] ticket,” she recounted. “When I realized we had won a prize, I first thought it was a $70,000 win. Doug told me to recount all the zeros, and that’s when it hit me that we won $70 million!”
The couple was finally able to process the massive lottery windfall together.
“We hugged and cried and started talking about this wonderful opportunity we now have to help family and others,” Doug and Enid shared.
The pair decided to keep the win to themselves for a while — they even kept it a secret from their grown children and grandchildren.
They agreed to first get financial and legal advice as they started to make some plans for the money.
Enid had the hardest time staying quiet as she’s known to be very open and expressive.
“Keeping this secret was killing me,” she said laughing.
The cat was finally out of the bag a week before collecting their prize at the winner’s celebration. Enid and Doug told their children and grandchildren about their $70 million jackpot, which was met with disbelief and happiness for the couple.
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During the joyous and emotional celebration, the couple shared a few of their plans for some of the money.
“I would like to travel across Canada to experience the beautiful nature of this country from coast to coast,” shared Doug, who loves the outdoors.
Enid, who is about to retire, is excited to start some long-awaited renovations in their home.
“I have been dreaming about a new kitchen for years and now I will get it, along with some other improvements to the house because we love where we live, and we don’t want to move,” she said.
But the couple both agree that the number one priority for this money is their family.
“Our family is most important and we want to share this with them. I want to ensure everyone is safe, secure and well taken care of.”
They also want to share a portion of their winnings with some community causes close to their hearts.
After the winner’s celebration, Doug and Enid invited their extended family members to a special meeting where they revealed the $70 million and promised a big family trip to celebrate together.
“This is truly a blessing for us and our family,” said Enid and Doug. “Like many people, you always hope to win the lottery, but we never dreamt this would happen to us! We are so very thankful.”
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