An 18-year-old Canadian has made history by winning C$48m (£30m) after buying a lottery ticket for the first time.
Juliette Lamour, from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, was announced as the winner on Friday by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC), making her the youngest person to win tens of millions of Canadian dollars.
Lamour, who bought the ticket on her 18th birthday at the suggestion of her grandfather, said she had forgotten about it until she heard news that someone from her home town had won the 7 January draw.
She told Global News: “I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun.”
She added: “When I went to the store, I wasn’t sure what to ask for because I had never bought a ticket before, so I called my dad who told me to buy a Lotto 6-49 quick pick.
“I still can’t believe I hit the gold ball jackpot on my very first lottery ticket.”
The OLGC said: “While there have been other 18-year-old lottery winners across Canada in recent years, no one has won as much as Juliette.”
The university student went on to describe how she found out while at work, and that her colleague “fell to his knees in disbelief”. Although she was told she could leave work early, her mother insisted she stay and finish her shift.
Lamour said she planned to invest most of her winnings with the help of her father, who is a financial adviser. She is keen to travel once she finishes her studies but said she wanted to return to northern Ontario to continue studying to become a doctor to practice medicine and give back to her community.
“Once school is done, my family and I will pick a continent and start exploring,” she said. “I want to experience different countries, study their history and culture, try their food, and listen to their language.
“Money doesn’t define you. It’s the work you do that will define you.”
