Wednesday marks another chance for the elusive and ever-growing Lotto Powerball to be cashed in - but as Kiwis ponder how they'd spend $42 million, one Lotto winner remains largely unchanged by their windfall.
In October 2019, Powerball jackpotted to a massive $38 million. Two lucky Auckland MyLotto players added a whopping $19.1 million to their bank accounts.
One of the winners, a mother from central Auckland, said she still works the same job and drives the same $2000 car despite her "life-changing" fortune.
"The win has changed our lives so much but a few things remain the same. We still work in the same jobs, but now we don't work for the money - we do it for the passion," she said.
"I'm still driving the same $2000 car I had before I won and walking around in the same clothes and shoes."
Instead of handing in her resignation and splashing out on a luxury vehicle (or two, or three), the winner and her family purchased their dream home and paid off their family's mortgages.
The winner has also donated generously to charities such as the Salvation Army and the SPCA.
"We feel so lucky to be able to help such great causes. One of the best things about winning Powerball is being able to make a difference and give back to the community," she said.
If the $42 million is won by a single player on Wednesday, it will be the second biggest prize in Lotto NZ history. A couple from the Hibiscus Coast took out the largest Powerball win of all time in November 2016 with a $44 million windfall. They purchased the winning ticket at Dairy Flat Food Mart and Liquor.
The current second, third, fourth and fifth biggest Powerball jackpots are $33 million in Auckland, September 2013; $30.2 million in Taupo, September 2017; $28.7 million in Auckland, October 2010 and $27 million in Thames, May 2017.
