Canada woman wins lottery, rejects S$926,000 lump sum for S$926 a week for life

A woman in her 20s in Montreal, Canada won the lottery in July 2025.

However, she had rejected receiving her winnings in a lump sum amounting to CA$1 million (S$926,000).

According to a press release by Canadian lottery company Loto-Québec, Brenda Aubin-Vega decided to instead receive CA$1,000 (S$926) every week for the rest of her life.

Given two options for winnings, intends to buy house

According to Loto-Québec, Aubin-Vega had taken a break at work after buying two lottery tickets from a convenience store in Montreal.

She had previously played the lottery "a few times a year".

After scratching her tickets, Aubin-Vega found three matching symbols in the same game, which meant that she had struck the lottery.

She realised she had won CA$1,000 (S$926) a week for life.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. I checked my ticket over and over again," she said, as quoted by the company.

Loto-Québec added that she immediately called her father to share the moment and later asked to take the rest of the day off work to absorb what had happened.

Aubin-Vega was actually given the choice between receiving CA$1,000 (S$926) weekly for life or a lump-sum payment of CA$1 million (S$926,000).

She opted for the weekly payment, and she intends to use the money to buy a house.

Cryptocurrency founder weighs in, says she should have invested lump sum

But Aubin-Vega's choice has raised some eyebrows, with Binance founder Zhao Changpeng disagreeing with her decision.

In a post on X on Dec. 11, 2025, the cryptocurrency boss said that she should have opted for the lump-sum payout and invested it in a fast-growing asset such as Bitcoin.

Zhao argued that it would have allowed her winnings to grow rather than settling for CA$1,000 a week.

"Assume she lives 100 more years, she gets $5 million (no inflation)," he wrote.

She will be better off to accept $1m today, ape bitcoin (or BNB), then spend $1k each week for the rest of her life, with millions left over.

Will be clear in a few years.

Assume she lives 100 more years, she gets $5m (no inflation). Today: BTC $90k, BNB $865. Let's 👀 https://t.co/UYOzoeTFVn

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) December 11, 2025

Zhao's remarks stirred a mix of reactions online, with some echoing his sentiment and suggesting that she would need many years to beat inflation and reach CA$1 million.

People still don’t realize that inflation will eat $1k/week alive

At $1k/week, she needs around 19 YEARS just to equal $1M.

Meanwhile $1M in BNB could 2×–10× way before that.

— White Monkey (@whitemonkeyfun) December 11, 2025

I saw this this morning and instantly I knew it was bad decision

She needs 20 years to get her million.

— ₿en Todar (@BenTodar) December 11, 2025

Others gave their take on why she might have decided on the weekly disbursement.

most people would make the same choice simply cause they don't trust themselves with a lot of money

if you don't know how to handle your finances, having $10k or $1M won't change things most of the time

— t0xic 🧪 (@amit0xic) December 11, 2025

No. Because her acquaintances will never let her be.

Getting 1K/week will keep friends and family from destroying your life and it will allow you to DCA into whatever asset you want.

— Jeff Treves (@TrevesStudios) December 11, 2025

Top photo by Loto-Québec