A dad from Craigieburn, Melbourne has become an overnight multi-millionaire, winning $4 million in the Powerball draw 1435, thanks to what he believes was the luck from a four-leaf clover found in his avocado plant. Drawn on Thursday, November 9, 2023, his ticket was one of the two division one winning entries, netting him a total prize of $4,148,377.65.
The win remained a mystery for a while as the ticket was unregistered, meaning lottery officials couldn’t contact the winner, who had to come forward on his own. The elated father described the win as “a dream come true,” filled with disbelief and gratitude.
“Hallelujah! This is life-changing,” he exclaimed.
“I feel really good now, but when I first discovered the win, it was a whole different story. I was ready to go to bed on Thursday night, but then I thought I would check my Powerball ticket beforehand.
“I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk. It felt as if I was in a dream. I had to give myself a few days to calm down and catch up on sleep before I could come forward.".
The lucky winner's story is tinged with irony and humor. A couple of years ago, he and his children had played a prank on his wife, pretending they had won the lottery. Now, experiencing a real win, he empathized with her past reaction, recalling the rapid beating of her heart during the prank.
I think it’s karma, but good karma. My children and I played a joke on my wife a couple of years ago that we had won the lottery, and she nearly had a heart attack. We all felt so guilty!
“I remember feeling her heart and it was beating so fast, and now I know exactly what she was going through. I almost went blind and I couldn’t see, and my heart was beating so fast. I was in la-la land!
“My wife has thankfully believed this win and we’ve already gone and celebrated over some fancy dinners".
The winning ticket was a last-minute purchase with loose change. The discovery of the four-leaf clover, a rare occurrence, seemed to be a good omen. He placed the clover on his Powerball ticket, a gesture he credits for his incredible luck.
“Some might not believe me, but I really think it was because of the four-leaf clover, and it was truly meant to be,” he said.
With the significant prize money, the father has plans to ease his family's life. He intends to help his children with their mortgages, purchase a new home, and a brand-new car.
The ticket was purchased at Lilydale Village Lotto & News, located in Lilydale, Victoria.
The store's owner, Rakesh Aggarwal, expressed immense excitement, having sold a division one winning entry within five months of owning the business.
The Powerball draw 1434's winning numbers were 35, 15, 3, 23, 34, 29, and 30, with the Powerball number being 2. The draw resulted in two division one winners across Australia, one in Victoria and another in Western Australia. The breakdown of division winnings for this draw is available here: Powerball 1434 Mints Two New Multimillionaires
