TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – An 18-year-old woman has made history by winning $48 million after she purchased a lottery ticket for the first time.
Juliette Lamour, 18, of Ontario, Canada, was announced as the winner by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) on Friday, making her the country’s youngest person to win a lottery prize of this amount.
Lamour purchased the winning ticket after her grandfather suggested she buy one for her 18th birthday. The 18-year-old said she forgot about the ticket until her coworkers told her that someone from her hometown had won the drawing on Jan. 7.
“I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy the lottery ticket for fun,” Lamour told Global News. “When I went to the store, I wasn’t sure what to ask for because I had never bought a ticket before, so I called my dad, who told me to buy a LOTTI 6-49 Quick Pick.”
“I still can’t believe I hit the Gold Ball jackpot on my very first lottery ticket!” Lamour exclaimed.
The OLGC stated: “While there have been other 18-year-old lottery winners across Canada in recent years, none has won as much as Juliette.”
The university student told Global News that when she found out at work that she was the winner, her colleague “fell to his knees in disbelief.”
“When he scanned the ticket, the ‘Winner/Gagnant’ jingle started to play, and ‘Big Winner’ was displayed on the phone,” Lamour told the outlet. “My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief. He was yelling — in fact, everyone was yelling — that I won $48 million!”
Despite being told she could leave work early, her mother insisted that she stay and finish her shift. When it comes to the winnings, Lamour said she plans to invest most of the money with the help of her father, who is a financial adviser.
Lamour also said she plans to finish her studies and travel before heading back to school to become a doctor and practice medicine.
“Once my school is done, my family and I will pick a continent and start exploring,” she said, according to The Guardian. I want to experience different countries, study their history and culture, try their food, and listen to their language.”
“Money doesn’t define you. It’s the work you do that will define you,” the 18-year-old said.
