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A man in southern China did not tell his wife and child he won the lottery that netted him just under 220 million yuan (S$42.7 million).

The reason for him being taciturn?

The man, identified by the pseudonym Li, was worried the money could make them arrogant and lazy.

Bought multiple tickets

Nanning Evening News reported that the lucky man's winnings came up to just under 220 million yuan.

He had bought 40 lottery tickets for 80 yuan (US$11) in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and every ticket contained the same seven numbers.

All seven numbers were drawn, and he won 5.48 million yuan (S$1.06 million) per ticket.

Could not sleep

Li said he could not sleep when he found out he won the jackpot on Oct. 21.

He took a train to Nanning early the next morning on a Saturday and stayed in a hotel for the weekend.

He said he slept in the hotel for those two days and did not dare to step outside out of fear he might lose his tickets.

He then went to the Guangxi Welfare Lottery Distribution Centre in the region’s capital city of Nanning to collect his winnings Oct. 24.

Collected prize in costume

Li donated 5 million yuan (S$968,000) to charity.

He dressed up in a mascot costume during the cheque presentation ceremony.

It was a way to hide his face from the public.

Such antics are common in China.

He kept his lottery win so secretive and had not told anyone, including his wife and child.

He said he was trying to contain his excitement: “I have not told my wife or kid. I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in future.”

Paid taxes

The final amount Li took home was 171 million yuan (S$33.2 million) after donating the 5 million yuan to charity and paying 43 million yuan (S$8.35 million) in taxes.

Li admitted to gambling a lot by buying tickets regularly for over a decade.

He said he had chosen the same seven numbers over the past few years because they “looked pleasing”.

“I only won a few dozen yuan in the past,” Li said.

“I regard buying the lottery as a hobby, and my family does not care. Plus, I do not spend much money on it, and the lottery provides a ray of hope for me.”

No plans yet

With so much money at his disposal, he has no plans on what to do with it yet.

“I haven’t decided yet, and I will take some time to plan how to use the money,” he said.

One news outlet reported that the lottery money will be considered a joint asset with his wife, even though he has not informed her about it yet.

All photos via Baidu