Tom Crist was the lucky winner of $40 million from a lottery in western Canada, but when officials notified him, he instantly knew that he would not be keeping the money. Crist was on a trip in California when he got the call. Shortly after, he reported to CBS News that the money would be going to a charity in honor of his late wife.
“I’ve been fortunate enough, through my career, 44 years with a company,” he said. “I did very well for myself. I’ve done enough that I can look after myself, for my kids, so they can get looked after into the future. I don’t really need that money.”
Crist won the jackpot back in May, but is just now revealing the plan for the money. He says that he wanted to wait and figure out how to go about the donations, and how to tell his children. Crist won from a subscription system, where he paid the lottery in advance, and then, instead of having to check numbers on a ticket, the lottery just let him know when he won.
“I wasn’t even sure which game I’d won on, or what the numbers were,” Crist said, according to a news release from the lottery. “I’ve paid for the subscription when I get the renewal notice every year, and then I just file it. Sometimes I’d get a check for $10 or $20, but I never expected this.”
