Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Teen Who Donated Piggy Bank Savings To Charity As Kid Wins Massive Lottery Jackpot 13 Years Later

Lottery winner Juliette Lamour
Good Morning America/GettyImages

18-year-old Juliette Lamour of Ontario hit the jackpot after buying her very first lottery ticket on her birthday weekend.

A Canadian teenager winning the lottery big time demonstrated that it pays to listen to your elders and that karma works in glorious ways.

Juliette Lamour–a teen from Ontario, Canada who had just turned 18–became the youngest girl in Canada ever to win the big jackpot through the lottery and she has her grandfather to thank for her extremely lucky fortune.


On the weekend of her 18th birthday, Lamour decided to visit her granddad when neither her parents nor sister was available.

When she called up and asked her granddad what kind of ice cream he would like for her to bring, he suggested the birthday girl treat herself to buying a lottery ticket instead.

"You just turned 18. Go buy a lotto ticket," she recalled him telling her, "Test your luck."

So Lamour did just that and bought her first-ever lottery ticket at a Circle K store in Sault Ste. Marie.

It turned out to be the best advice ever given to her.

The pharmacist assistant found out she won $48 million CAD ($36 million USD) while she was at work on January 7.

Lamour described the scene at work after her boss verified the winning ticket on a lottery app and a jingle announced the ticket holder was the "Big Winner."

"My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief."
"He was screaming, in fact everyone was screaming that I had won $48 million."

She continued telling reporters:

"At first, I didn't understand what was going on. I couldn't take in the news."
"We made quite a scene in the store that day."

Who can blame them?

You can watch a news report video here.

youtu.be

She said everyone who has reached out told her, "Good things happen to good people," and "Everything happens for a reason."

The teen said of luck being on her side:

"I don't know why this happened."
"But I'm just really so grateful, and I’m planning to do good things with the winnings.”"

In addition to beginner's luck, it appears karma also worked in her favor.

Thirteen years ago, she was praised in the media after she and her sister donated their piggy bank worth $61 at a hockey game towards relief efforts following the January 10, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

Lamour was only five when she agreed to the philanthropic decision to prioritize the needs of others before her own.



After hitting the jackpot, Lamour's mother had a difficult time understanding what her daughter was trying to convey given the range of emotions she was feeling when she called her folks.

"Fortunately, my father managed to decode that I had won the jackpot in the lottery," said Lamour.

"I knew I couldn't concentrate on my work anymore and my boss told me to go home, but my mom wanted me to finish my day."
"My colleagues shouted 'Come and get her,' and my parents finally came."

Lamour told CBS News she plans on becoming a doctor in Ontario after graduating college.

As far as her huge winnings go, she said she will invest some of it.

Fortunately, her father is a financial advisor.

And in terms of sharing the wealth, Lamour said she will keep "friends and family in mind."

She added:

"When school is over, my family and I will choose a continent and go explore it."
"I'm not one to spend my days at the beach. I want to visit different countries, learn about their history and culture, taste food and listen to people speak their language."

Lamour concluded by sharing her age-belying wisdom.

"Money doesn't define you," she said. "It's the work you do that will define you."

Spoken like a true winner.

More from Trending

Karoline Leavitt and Scott Bessent
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Dragged After Making Mind-Numbing Claim About Trump's Tariffs Reversal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting called out after she attempted to justify President Donald Trump's sudden reversal on his proposed tariffs, telling reporters that his actions make sense because he has a master plan to make the world bend the knee.

Trump declared a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion signs
Noah Holm on Unsplash

People Explain What Stopped Them From Going To Church Anymore

There's been a perception of a bit of an exodus from religion for the last several decades. But humanity has gone from no organized religions to oppressive religious regimes to rebellion and back again over the last several millennia.

But is the 21st century when religion finally fails to bounce back?

Keep ReadingShow less
Jojo Siwa; Mickey Rourke
ITV

Mickey Rourke Reprimanded After Indirectly Aiming Anti-Gay Slur At JoJo Siwa On 'Celebrity Big Brother'

Dance Moms dancer, Nickelodeon child star, singer, and reality TV staple Jojo Siwa had a rough few months in 2024 over some problematic comments and behavior.

But 2025 is looking brighter as the public rallies to her defense.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack and Michelle Obama
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Michelle Obama Expertly Shuts Down Baseless Rumors That She And Barack Are Divorcing

Speaking on Sophia Bush's Work in Progress podcast, former First Lady Michelle Obama addressed rumors that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, were getting a divorce.

Obama addressed the recent divorce rumors for the first time, while also reflecting on the personal choices she’s made since departing the White House in 2017.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Kristi Noem Ripped Over Her Lack Of Gun-Handling Skills While Cosplaying As ICE Agent

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized after she had an ICE officer seemingly dodging her aim after she pointed a gun towards his head while filming a video.

In a 20-second video posted to X on Tuesday, Kristi Noem stands flanked by two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, brandishing a gun. Wearing a vest marked "ICE," along with dark cargo pants and a cap, Noem addresses the camera while the two agents remain silent beside her—though some X users expressed concern for the safety of one of them.

Keep ReadingShow less