Etobicoke consultant hitting the rails after $65M Lotto Max win
'I have dreamt of travelling on these luxurious and exotic trains,' Mohit Sharma said
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Mohit Sharma will soon be riding the rails in style.
The Etobicoke consultant, long fond of the world’s most famous and luxurious trains, is Ontario’s newest multi-millionaire, having won the $65-million jackpot from the Oct. 15, 2024 Lotto Max draw.
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“I heard on the news that the winning ticket was sold in Etobicoke,” Sharma told OLG.
“I had a couple of tickets in a drawer, so I set up the tickets on the table and started scanning them using the OLG app. The first ticket I scanned was the winner! I couldn’t believe it and my heart started pounding. My phone screen lit up as the words ‘Big Winner’ flashed across the screen. I thought to myself, ‘I guess that person I heard about on the news was me!’”
Sharma wanted to tell his family as soon as possible but they were travelling at the time so he decided to patiently wait until they were all back together in person.
“To say they were shocked is an understatement,” he told OLG. “I had to pinch a couple of them to prove it was real. It was an emotional moment with lots of trembling hands and elevated heart rates all around.”
The family wanted to celebrate with champagne but all they had was a mismatched collection of glasses and it was late in the evening.
“When we decided we needed proper champagne glasses to toast the great news, the only place still open was Walmart.
“So, we ran over to buy champagne glasses, and raised a glass to my good fortune. We finished the bottle together that night.”
Sharma began buying lottery tickets in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving himself a weekly routine to look forward to during the lockdowns.
He bought Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 tickets with Encore each week and always asked the retailer for Quick Pick numbers.
“I don’t pick the numbers, so knowing that a random number that the lottery computer picked for me was the winner — and my name was on that ticket — is just unbelievable,” he told OLG.
“The best part of winning the lottery is that me and my family are financially free. We don’t have to plan or save for holidays or vacations. If I want to travel now, I can. If I want to buy something, I can.”
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Sharma vows to tour the globe as a passenger on some of the world’s most iconic trains.
“I have dreamt of travelling on these luxurious and exotic trains,” he told OLG.
“I want to go to Japan to experience one of the world’s fastest trains The Shinkansen. I also want to travel on The Indian Pacific that goes from Sydney to Perth, Australia. The famous Orient Express is another on the top of my list, too.
“I’m excited to see more of Canada when I hop on The Canadian, from Toronto to Vancouver. In addition, I want to ride The Caledonia Sleeper, which crisscrosses the United Kingdom. This is what will excite me the most!”
Still, Sharma — who is also considering going back to school for another degree or diploma — said there’s one thing that has kept him smiling since he realized he won.
“The happiness I’m sharing with my family is the best part of this win,” he said.
Sharma bought his winning ticket at Lakeshore Mini Mart on Lakeshore Blvd. W. in Etobicoke.
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