A decision by a group of five co-workers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to purchase a LOTTO MAX ticket during the recent Lunar New Year period in January has turned each of them into Ontario’s newest multi-millionaires!
The group members are:
Trang Pham of Mississauga
Suong Tran of Mississauga
Phong Phan of Brampton
Thuc Le of Toronto
Zou Hsieh of Scarborough
In Asian culture, the Lunar New Year is a very special time, traditionally associated with family, good fortune, health, and prosperity for the year ahead. To honour these traditions, group leader, Trang Pham, suggested to her co-workers from an area construction company that they buy a ticket for the January 21, 2025 LOTTO MAX draw.
“About a week before Lunar New Year, I was buying creamer for the office and thought I’d pick up a ticket for the group,” recalled Trang. The very next day, the group discovered they’d won the $60 million LOTTO MAX jackpot!
“I saw in the news that the $60 million LOTTO MAX winning ticket had been sold in Etobicoke, so I checked ours right away,” recounted Trang. “I reviewed the numbers myself and saw that one of the lines matched exactly. I couldn’t believe it, so checked the ticket again, this time on the OLG app. When I saw $60 million on the screen, I was in total shock. I took a screenshot and sent it to the group chat right away.”
A moment later, Trang’s phone started “blowing up” with calls and texts from her group members, each of whom would receive a $12 million cheque. Suong Tran said, “I was in a parking lot at work when the text came in. I thought Trang was teasing us, so I called her. When she confirmed it wasn’t a joke, I started shaking and crying tears of joy.” Phong Phan was also about to begin work when he saw the message. “I couldn’t believe it. Then I did. I was so happy…I didn’t know what was going on! So many emotions. I even checked the numbers myself. It was hard to act normal that day!” Phong told his fellow group members, Zou Hsieh and Thuc Le, since they were not on the group chat. Both were stunned and couldn’t eat or sleep for a couple of days after hearing the news.
The reality that each group member was now a multi-millionaire didn’t fully set in until they were presented with their winnings by Jim Warren, OLG’s Chair of the Board of Directors, during a special Winner’s Celebration. Mr. Warren revealed the group’s $60 million cheque from a giant red envelope to honour the tradition of how gifts of money are presented during Lunar New Year.
Each member of the winning group is still planning exactly how to make the best use of their incredible windfall, but they do have some bucket list items they want to fulfil.
Group leader Trang Pham says she wants to buy a home and share her winnings, “Purchasing a home has been a dream of mine since my parents relocated to Canada. They made so many sacrifices for me, and now it’s my time to take care of them. I also plan to make some investments and tap into my inner philanthropist.”
Phong Phan says he is too young to retire but wants to take some time off work and travel. “That’s been a dream of mine. I also want to start my own business, so I have a lot to think about. I’ll do that while I travel.”
Zou Hsieh was quick to announce that he is retiring right away. “Last year, I was worried about retiring, but now I don’t have to. I want to start travelling the world and see it all. I really hope to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights along the way.”
Thuc Le’s priority is family. “The first thing I want to buy is a house for my mother. I’ll share this win with my family and will also treat myself to a new car.”
Suong Tran says she needs some time to settle into her win. “I have many causes that are special to me that I want to support, so I’ll calmly consider all options before making any big decisions.”
The group purchased their LOTTO MAX ticket at Giant Tiger on Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke.
