‘I would’ve hit the ceiling if I had underwear on’: Oshawa, Ont., man thought he won $40K Lotto Max jackpot. It was actually $40M

Bernard White of Oshawa, Ont. is $40 million richer and admits he was a little underdressed when he first heard about his Lotto Max jackpot win.

An Oshawa, Ont. man who just claimed a $40-million Lotto Max jackpot is leaving nothing to the imagination when he talks about his big win.

Bernard White, 79, said he was sleeping when his daughter first knocked on this door early in the morning to tell him that he had won, what she thought was, $40,000 following the Feb. 21 draw.

But it wasn’t until five or 10 minutes later that White said his daughter knocked on his door a second time and he realized the true size of the windfall.

“I sleep in the nude. I couldn’t jump out of bed. I would’ve hit the ceiling if I had underwear on!” White said with a laugh in a video released by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) on Thursday.

“I was ecstatic. My head was spinning,” he said.

Originally from Newfoundland, White said he’s been buying Lotto Max tickets since 2009 and more recently starting purchasing two tickets at a time: one for himself and one for his daughter.

“And before I’d go to bed, I’d say, ‘Here, pick one.’ She picked the wrong one,” White joked.

Later that day, White said, his daughter left work early because she was “shaking” from excitement and the pair decided to drive to the gas station on Taunton Road East where he bought the ticket.

“I checked it on the machine, and the thing lit up like a Christmas tree,” White recalled.

The retired railway employee describes himself as a music “buff” and said the first thing he wants to buy is a high-end set of speakers for $3,000, as well as a new fishing rod.

As for what he plans to do with the remaining $39,997,000, White said he’d like to go to Las Vegas as he’s never been before and plans on taking a boat cruise around Newfoundland with his partner.

Speaking about his daughter, White said she would be “well taken care of” as his only child.

“My daughter means a lot to me because, when my late wife and I had her, she was the only child we could have,” he said.

“I’ve dreamt in the past about winning big money and sharing it with family. It’s going to be a wonderful feeling to help my family. I’ll be the favourite uncle,” he smiled.