'I haven't told my wife or kid': $30 million lottery winner in China hasn't shared fortune for fear his family feels 'superior'
A man in China who won big in the lottery, arrived to pick up his winning cheque in a costume in order to keep his identity from his family.
The man, only identified as “Li” , showed up at the lottery corporation press conference to pick up his 220 million yuan prize (approximately $30.1 million) wearing a yellow cartoon outfit. He told local media that he was hiding his identity so that his family wouldn’t find out about the winnings, in an attempt to prevent them from becoming lazy or acting better than others.
“I have not told my wife or kid,” he was quoted by the South China Morning Post as saying. “I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in future.”
Li says he’s used the same seven betting numbers for years, because they “looked pleasing to him". Before his big win, he was so confident about his chosen lottery numbers that he bought 40 tickets with the same combination of numbers on each one.
Each ticket, which cost about $11 each, had a winning payout of 5.48 million yuan (approx. $750,000). After he had learned of his big winnings on Oct. 21, he says he didn’t sleep that night.
After 43 million yuan (approx. $5.9 million) being docked for taxes and donating 5 million yuan (approx. $684,660) to charity, Li is left with about 171 million yuan (approx. $23.4 million).
“I only won a few dozen yuan in the past,” Li said. “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.”
As for what he’ll do with the money, Li told outlets that he hasn’t thought about it but will take his time to do so carefully. Despite keeping his winnings a secret, Li’s wife has a right to them as a joint owner of the newly claimed asset under the Chinese Marriage Law.
It isn’t uncommon for lotto winners to appear in disguise when attending the cheque presentation, as a way to keep their identities hidden from the public.
