A 29-year-old Toronto man won $35 million playing Lotto Max in June and until now, had kept the life-changing news to himself.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) said in a news release Monday that Ginno Torres split the $70 million June 22 jackpot with a ticket holder in British Columbia.

The OLG said Torres, who is a recent college graduate, didn’t tell anyone about the win until he got his cheque.

“I wanted to make sure it was real before I surprised my family and friends with this incredible news,” Torres said in the release.

Torres checked his ticket a few days after the draw at a store in his neighbourhood, and initially thought he won $35,000, the OLG said. He went to a second store and checked again, and at that point knew he won big.

Torres went to another store and got the ticket validated by a retailer, at which point the winning bell on the terminal went off.

In the OLG statement, he shared some insight into what he plans to do with the money.

“I am going to make sure my family is taken care of and I will make some investments to make sure I am well taken care of long into the future,” he said.

He said he also plans to share some money with charities, redecorate his home, commission some custom Indigenous art, and travel across Canada and when it’s safe, Europe and Asia.

The OLG said Torres is a regular lottery player and bought his ticket at King Grocery on King Street in Toronto.

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