That day, he had to buy pie dough for his dinner. He decided to play the lottery and his life changed. With tens of millions in his account, he prefers to continue going to work because others are counting on him.
Pierre Richer had plenty of reasons to be grateful when he discovered he had won the $50,000,000 jackpot (around €47 million) in the Lotto Max draw, the Quebec lotto, on October 6. Despite this life-changing reward, Richer was back at work at 4:30 a.m. the following Monday, as a driver and shipping manager at a catering company. He said he has no plans to retire at this time — and continues to work every day.
“I can’t leave them alone in the dark. Without me, the shipping department cannot function,” Richer said at a press conference organized by Loto-Québec. The modest man was simply buying something to prepare dinner with his daughter when he decided to buy a Lotto Max ticket that day. Coincidentally, if the pie crust hadn’t been on sale, Richer said he wouldn’t have been to the place and probably wouldn’t have bought a ticket.
It was only the day after the drawing that her daughter and her partner decided to check the Lotto Max ticket online to see if they had won. Richer’s daughter screamed when she saw that Richer had matched all seven Lotto Max numbers 04, 17, 20, 23, 25, 27 and 41, earning him his big win. Despite the excitement, Richer barely reacted to his multi-million dollar prize when called into the room. “I walked into the room and they told me,” Richer said. “I said ‘OK’ and walked out.”
Richer said he will finally be able to realize his dream of having a house on the outskirts of Montreal with his winnings, send his family on vacation, and renew his car. With a 40-year career to be proud of, Richer says he’ll take some time for himself, but has no plans to retire anytime soon. “I feel the same way,” Richer said. “Nothing has changed.” “Last year, we awarded $1.5 billion to lottery winners,” says Jean-François Bergeron, president and CEO of Loto-Québec. “We are so proud to contribute to the community in this way and help people realize their projects.”
