$20.5m Lotto winner stays in the shadows

The man kept his ticket in his wallet, hidden in his sock drawer. Photo / Wayne Drought

New Zealand can be a small place when you have a secret to hide - so imagine having one worth $20.5 million.

The country's newest millionaire has managed to stay in the shadows this week as he comes to terms with his new-found Lotto fortune.

He has so far said very little, except that he loves vintage motorcycles and was in Invercargill for the Burt Munro Challenge when he bought his ticket.

Timaru hosts a classic motorcycle show next weekend where the $20 million man is expected to be if he is an enthusiast, as he claimed in his anonymous press statement.

It is a "small world'' in the South Island and nothing stays secret for too long, Classic Action Motorcycle Sport (CAMS) president Neil Morrison said.

"I'm damn sure everyone there will be talking about it,'' Mr Morrison said of the CAMS event on December 6.

"It's such a small world that we live in that I think if it was someone close to us we would have maybe found out.

"You can't keep secrets in this place.''

The lucky Lotto millionaire hid his Powerball ticket hidden in his sock drawer before claiming the prize.

He said he deliberately delayed checking his ticket because he wanted ``the magic of thinking I could be a millionaire to last a bit longer''.

Now that the big win has been confirmed, the identity of the man with newly-found deep pockets is the topic of much speculation.

Motorcycle clubs up and down the South Island have little to report as far as concrete evidence of who it might be.

Most club members agree the win could mean a windfall for anyone selling vintage bikes.

The South Island's new Richie Rich - who has plans to now "really indulge my liking for vintage motorcycles'' - probably has enough money to buy all the vintage bikes in New Zealand, Mr Morrison said.

"This man can afford the best motorcycles in the world.

"He could go just about anywhere these days and do just about whatever he likes.

"He probably wouldn't be fluffing around trying to buy things other people have got here.''