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Two friends moved from Europe to Canada in the 1990s and met in ESL classes
Apr 23, 2026 • Last updated 17 hours ago •
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Greg S. and Krys P., pals from London, Ont., made history by winning an unprecedented $80 million Lotto Max jackpot on Dec. 30, 2025. Photo by Handout /OLG
A duo from London, Ont. has set a record in Canadian lottery history after hitting the incredible $80 million Lotto Max jackpot.
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The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced that Greg S. and Krys P. had a ticket that matched all numbers drawn on Dec. 30, 2025, making them instant millionaires.
The OLG revealed earlier this month that they claimed their jackpot months later but kept their identities under wraps until now.
“One-by-one I circled my numbers to see if they matched the winning numbers – until I realized I circled them all,” Greg said.
He told his wife he won something but didn’t know how much it was at first.
“Then I checked using the OLG app because I didn’t know how much we won,” Greg said. “I saw the words Big Winner and the number 80 but I didn’t believe it at first. It was unbelievable. I checked it again and I saw the eight, the zeros and the commas and I knew it was $80 million.”
Duo immigrated from Europe
The friends immigrated from Europe to Canada during the ’90s where they bonded while taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes; they also won a secondary prize of $403,285.40 after opting for Lotto Max Combination Play.
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They’ve agreed to split their winnings equally.
Krys mentioned he learned about their winning ticket just after draw day through Greg’s wife.
“She asked me if I checked our ticket yet,” Krys said. “I checked it with my wife and saw we matched all the numbers. I was very happy, and very nervous too.”
Krys then visited Greg’s home to confirm their exciting news together!
“I went over to Greg’s to check the ticket together and shake his hand,” he said. “He is the one who always took time to go buy our tickets.”</blockqupt
Taking time to decide what to do next
Recently retired from his manufacturing job, Greg mentioned he’ll take his time figuring out what comes next for him now that he’s won big! Krys has consulted with a financial adviser about investing his half of their winnings; he plans on buying a new home along with a car while also looking forward to traveling more often with family! Both friends expressed interest in ensuring financial security for their families for generations ahead!“We came to Canada many years ago in search of Canadian dreams along with better lives,” Greg shared. “Over these years we’ve worked hard creating lives we’re proud of! We’ve been lucky enough owning homes while providing education opportunities for our kids’ futures!”</blockquote
Read More$80M lottery winners took months before claiming ‘life-changing amount of money’
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