Retired gym teacher buys winning lottery ticket at the last minute, wins $40 million

Bernard Morissette has been playing the same lottery numbers for years and after almost forgetting about it, he made a purchase just in time that earned him a whopping $40 million.

The retired gym teacher from Quebec’s Outaouais region was one half of a lucky duo in a record-breaking $80 million lottery.

The Lotto Max jackpot was split between two winning tickets in Quebec and Ontario. Each winner of Tuesday night’s draw will take home $40 million.

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Morissette, who is in his 80s, suddenly remembered that he hadn’t bought his ticket around 9 p.m. on the night of the historic drawing. He made the last-minute purchase online using the same lottery numbers he always plays, which are family birthdays.

On Wednesday, a Loto-Québec employee contacted him with the life-changing news: he is a multimillionaire.

The senior immediately shouted to his wife Rachel that they had won. At first, their children did not believe their father’s new fortune.

Morisette traveled by limousine to Montreal on Friday, where he spoke to reporters about his plans for his prize money. A big sports fan, he hopes to watch professional soccer matches in Italy.

The father of three also wants to use the windfall to secure the future of his children.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has not yet announced a winner in that province.

— with files from Global’s Dan Spector and Gabby Rodrigues

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