Powerball win: Paraparaumu man claims $4.3 million prize

Kapiti Knitting and Lotto owners Richard and Paula McKeown who sold the winning ticket. Photo / Rosalie Willis

A Paraparaumu man is $4.3 million richer after picking up a winning Lotto ticket last week.

With the winning ticket sold at Kāpiti Knitting and Lotto for the Wednesday, November 3 draw, the prize is made up of $4 million from Powerball First Division and $333,333 from Lotto First Division.

The Paraparaumu man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he had made his routine stop at the Lotto shop to buy another ticket without even knowing he had a winning Powerball ticket.

"I just popped into the Lotto shop as I usually do to check my ticket and pick up one for the next draw," he said.

"I had absolutely no idea Powerball had been won, let alone that Kāpiti Knitting and Lotto had sold the winning ticket."

"I handed my ticket to the lady at the counter and she ran my ticket through the terminal. That's when she looked at me and said, 'You better pop into the back office with me."

He said the news of the win put him into "complete shock", with the operator looking just as surprised as he was.

Kāpiti Knitting and Lotto store owners Richard and Paula McKeown said the Powerball win had been great for business.

Having owned the store for seven years, they said it was the first time they had ever sold a Powerball and First Division winning ticket, but had had six second division wins.

A Paraparaumu man is $4.3 million richer after picking up a winning Lotto ticket last week. Photo / NZME

The first thing he did after claiming the prize was to call his daughter and share the good news.

"She didn't believe me at first – she just kept saying, 'No, no, no'," he said.

"She definitely took a bit of convincing, but I got there in the end."

The man said the winnings were now in his bank account and he would take some time to consider how it would be spent.

"II want to make the most of the prize, and make sure the whole family is set up for the future."

"It still doesn't feel real – I think it will take a while to sink in. All I know now is that I feel incredibly lucky."

The Paraparaumu man's ticket was the 17th Powerball win in 2021, and the first in the wider Wellington region this year.