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Chinese lottery winner wears costume to hide $30 million prize from family
"Li" said he's worried the money will make them arrogant and look down on others.
November 1, 2022 2:30pm
Updated: November 1, 2022 5:45pm
A Southern Chinese lottery winner says he is hiding his winnings from his family over concerns the near-$30 million in prize money could make them arrogant and lazy.
The man, who local press identified by the pseudonym Li, purchased 40 lotto tickets with the same seven-number combination, reports NextShark.
When the lottery drew that exact combination on Oct. 21, each ticket had a payout of 5.48 million yuan ($750,000), meaning Li’s 40 tickets won him almost 220 million yuan, or $30.6 million.
Li told local media he could not sleep the night he won.
On Oct. 24, Li went to pick up his prize from the Guangxi Welfare Lottery Distribution Center in Nanning City wearing a yellow cartoon character costume – a common strategy for lottery winners who want to avoid public attention. He had stayed at a local hotel, never leaving the room because he feared losing the tickets.
But Li has reportedly not yet told his own family about the windfall.
“I have not told my wife or kid. I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in future,” quoted the South China Morning Post.
The anonymous man will take home 171 million yuan ($24 million) after donating 5 million yuan to charity and paying 43 million in taxes, reports SCMP.
Li is a “loyal fan” of the lottery who has played for fun for over a decade.
“I only won a few dozen yuan in the past,” said Li. “I regard buying the lottery as a hobby, and my family does not care. Plus, I do not spend much money on it, and the lottery provides a ray of hope for me.”
He said he has chosen the same seven numbers for the past few years because they “looked pleasing” – which paid off handsomely for him this month.
Under law, the lottery money is considered a joint asset between the married couple. A lawyer told the local news outlet that Li may be violating Chinese marriage law by “infringing on his wife’s right to know.”
As in many countries, lottery winnings can also come with tragedy and family feuding. SCMP reports that one 80-year-old widower who won 12 million yuan in 2018 committed suicide after a massive inheritance fight with his four children.
