A Castle Hill man is already planning a dramatically different future after winning more than $40 million in Thursday night’s Powerball draw — including a new home, a beach house and the possibility of never working again.
The New South Wales player initially mistook the prize for $40,000 after ignoring the phone call confirming the life-changing win while watching the footy at home.
“When the phone started ringing, I thought it was random so didn’t answer,” he said.
Only after receiving a follow-up message did he check The Lott app, where the true scale of the win began to register.
“But then I got your text, so I glanced at The Lott app. At first, I thought I’d won $40,000. It actually took a little bit of time to compute. Then I realised it was $40 million.
“This is quite surreal. It’s crazy – it’s very crazy. I’m in shock!
“I never win anything! But I have to admit, when I put this ticket on this afternoon, I thought I just might win.”
The Castle Hill resident held the only division one winning entry nationally in Powerball draw 1561 on Thursday, 16 April 2026. His PowerHit entry also delivered division two 19 times along with other prizes, boosting the total windfall to $40,812,146.60.
As the reality of the win set in, the couple quickly began thinking about how the money could reshape their lifestyle, opening up opportunities that previously felt out of reach.
Like many Australians, they had often spoken about what they would do if they ever secured a major win, but never imagined the conversation would become real.
“We generally joke about winning. We always talk about how we could spend it if we won, but then think we’ll never win, ever,” he said.
The winner revealed his wife’s reaction, which captured the shock of the moment.
“Are you f...ing serious?! Woo Hoo!” she screamed.
“My wife’s wearing a red shirt and her face has gone the same colour. I’ve never seen that before.”
With the financial pressure of everyday life suddenly lifted, the couple are already considering major lifestyle changes, including upgrading their home and securing a coastal escape.
“We’re going to get a new house, a new car and a beach house. And we might not work ever again,” his wife added.
The winning ticket was purchased via The Lott app, delivering the news digitally just moments after the draw.
The winning numbers in Powerball draw 1561 were 27, 13, 15, 19, 14, 3 and 7, with Powerball number 18.
Across Australia, there was only one division one winning entry in the draw, turning what began as a routine night watching sport into a financial windfall likely to reshape the couple’s future for decades to come.
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