Tweed man explains why he won’t retire early after Lotto win

“I DON’T think I’ll go on a holiday because I already live in a beautiful place.”

A Tweed Heads man won $700,000 in the weekend's Saturday Lotto draw.

A TWEED Heads man is kicking the trend of those who dream of winning the lotto to give up work.

The winner of $740,000 in the weekend’s Saturday Lotto draw is planning on starting his own business.

The windfall recipient held one of the seven division one winning entries across Australia in Saturday Lotto draw 4087.

Each entry won a division one prize of $740,461.20

As an unregistered player, officials had to wait until the man came to collect his win on Thursday.

“I had no idea I had won until I checked my ticket at my local newsagent,” he said.

“I checked my ticket and the bloke said ‘I can’t pay this out here. It looks like you’ve won a lot of money’.”

“I couldn’t believe it. I still don’t believe it if I’m honest.”

The man said he had been playing the same numbers for about three years.

“Whenever I put them on the lady behind the counter always tells me ‘these numbers will win you something one day’,” he said with a laugh.

“I always tell her to get lost, but now I’ll be able to tell her these numbers came good.”

He confessed he had no plans to retire early.

“I’ve always run small businesses and I’ve always worked hard,” he said .

“I love to work, and I don’t know what I would do with myself if I weren’t working.

“I’d probably go crazy. My kids are grown-ups now, and they always tell me ‘dad, you should retire’.

“God knows what they will say when I tell them about the win.

“I’ll use the money to pay off my mortgage, which will be good.

“I’ll be able to work because I want to, not because I have to. I’ll use it to start my own business.

“I don’t think I’ll go on a holiday because I already live in a beautiful place, but I’ll travel to see my family when I can.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Tweed Mall News on Wharf St, Tweed Heads.

Originally published as