Trev a hit with Lotto staff from very start

Trevor with his winning $26,000,000 lotto ticket. Photo / Mark Mitchell

He's become known as the country's most eligible bachelor - a title Trevor the $26 million Lotto winner got from those giving him the prize.

The Herald has obtained Lotteries Commission correspondence relating to dealings over Trevor from Te Kauwhata, 32, who become a household name when he went public last month about his Powerball win.

One of the Lotteries Commission emails soon after he was identified as the winner says: "I've spoken to our lovely winner Trevor. He's a local and lives with his flatmate in Te Kauwhata.

"He works at Countdown in Huntly on checkouts and was booked in for doing a TOPS (Training Opportunities) course next wk ha ha ... I told him he was NZ's most eligible bachelor!"

When "easy-going" Trevor was due to fly to Wellington to meet the Lotteries Commission, an email said he was "keen for some advice on when he should make changes i.e. leave his job, when should he talk to financial advisers and the bank etc."

After his media appearances, an email says Trevor "doesn't regret going public, he knew it would get out eventually".

Another email the same day said that in response to the heavy interest in him, Trevor had "decided to up and leave and get away for a while".

"His mum and dad have had a few calls too - but he said they're all okay, and we'd warned him it'll be a bit bumpy for a few weeks so he was prepared."

A few days later Trevor was back home and "happy as Larry".

Trevor bought his first house, in the Franklin district, for more than $2 million last month. The two-storey three-bedroom, three-bathroom home has a large lawn and barn and is near the million-dollar-plus properties he's bought for his parents and sister.