A Wellington couple went to work as usual despite winning $16 million with Powerball First Division last Wednesday.
The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, said they welcomed the distraction.
"I was able to compartmentalise and do my job - I don't know how!"
"Every time I was alone throughout the day though, my mind wandered back to all those zeroes on the ticket, and I just burst out laughing," the woman said.
The man had bought the winning ticket on MyLotto on Wednesday evening after seeing the jackpot was $15 million.
As he logged on later that evening, he saw a message saying he was a winner.
"I honestly thought it was a glitch - never in a million years did I think we'd win. We waited a while and when we saw in the news that $16 million had been won in Wellington, that's when I started to think 'ok, maybe it could be us'," he said.
After double-checking their ticket multiple times, screenshotting it and reading the news over and over, the couple decided to call it a night - not that they managed to sleep.
In a poetic moment, the man got the call from Lotto confirming he'd won just as he left the office the next day.
"When the person said they were from Lotto NZ, my stomach flipped and I thought 'oh wow, it must be real' - the confirmation was a weight off my mind for sure!" he said.
The couple decided to take Labour Weekend off to let the enormity of their newfound wealth sink in, celebrating with a low-key family dinner.
With the money safely in their bank account, the couple said they already have plans for how they're going to spend it.
"We plan to pay off our mortgage and maybe do some renovations.
"We also want to help our wider family and some charities close to our hearts. We don't know when, or what that looks like just yet, but there's no rush,” the man said.
"This win is life-changing. It gives us the freedom to do those things we maybe couldn't do before. We love travelling, it's an experience that's important to us, so that's definitely on the agenda - starting with a family holiday," the woman said.
The couple are the sixteenth Powerball First Division winners of 2022.
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