Powerball jackpot: Surprising thing most Lotto winners do

Wouldn’t it be nice to never have to work again? Ahead of Thursday’s $150m Powerball draw, previous division one winners reveal how they spent their millions.

Wouldn’t it be nice to never have to work again? According to Australia’s Lotto multi-millionaires, apparently not.

Ahead of Thursday night’s Powerball draw for the largest prize in the country’s Lotto history — $150 million — more than 100 past division one winners have shared what they did with their riches.

Surprisingly, hardly any retired, quit their job or reduced their work hours after winning staggering amounts of cash.

Only 10.20 per cent of winners said they changed their job or went part-time and only 15.31 per cent retired.

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A NSW woman who won Australia’s largest Powerball prize in January ($107 million) continued to work in healthcare because it’s her passion.

Brownwyn Spencer, from the national organisation that oversees Australia’s lotteries The Lott, said the woman won with a quick pick.

A Victorian winner, who became a multi-millionaire overnight, said he and his wife could have retired but didn’t.

“My wife and I have both worked for 40-plus years and will continue to work because we both have occupations that we love and enjoy the challenges that our jobs present.” he said.

Another Victorian said they continued to work full time as a teacher and a Queensland nurse said their division one win was a “bonus” but not enough incentive to quit work.

The Lott survey of division one winners also revealed that majority of people who claimed mega cash prizes spent their winnings wisely.

Most (70.41 per cent) invested the money for the future, hoping it would turn into more money.

Half paid off their mortgage (54.08 per cent) and some were generous enough to pay their friends and families too (10.20 per cent).

Interestingly, while Lotto win hopefuls tend to claim they have big plans as to what they will splash their cash on, only 20.41 per cent enjoyed a holiday and 35.71 per cent bought a new car.

And despite many claiming they wouldn’t tell a soul if they won Lotto, less than 5 per cent of winners told no one.

It’s common to hear ‘if I win Lotto I’ll quit my job and tell no one’ … but in reality the millionaire winners tend to keep working and tell their family and friends. Picture: Supplied

Most told their partner and immediate family (75 per cent) and 27 per cent let their friends in on the secret.

When it came to goodwill gestures, 22.45 per cent donated some or all of their winnings to charity.

The 2018-19 financial year created 429 division one Lotto winners across the country totalling $1,166,071,611.89.

While that seems like a lot, the odds of you becoming one is 134,490,400:1 for a single game entry.

The Lott says a 12-game quick pick gives you a higher chance of one in 11 million.

Most winners come from Victoria (139) or NSW (107), while the Northern Territory created nine winners in the last year.

Queensland saw 76 wins, Western Australia had 55, South Australia delivered 29 and Tasmania 14.

To win division one, a player’s ticket needs to line up with all seven numbers and the Powerball in a single game.

If there’s no winner, as has been the case for the last eight weeks, the prize will jackpot to the next draw.

Last week’s draw saw $50.25 million given away across division two to nine.