A boss humorously asked workers to return after they informed him of their $40 million lottery win, sparking mixed reactions.
A group of miners in Australia recently won a huge lottery prize of $40 million.
The miners, who work in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, were part of a team that entered the Powerball lottery and were shocked to find out they had struck it rich.
Their manager, Chris Wood, was thrilled for them but also worried about what their win meant for their jobs.
The lottery ticket was part of a larger $110 million jackpot, which had three winning entries.
The group of 20 miners from Western Australia won a total of $36.44 million, which comes out to about $1.82 million for each person.
This life-changing amount of money left them excited and eager to celebrate.
When the miners first called their manager to share the good news, he thought they were joking.
Chris Wood admitted that he didn’t believe them at first. He said, “It’s impossible, I don’t believe you, you are joking.”
However, once he realized they were serious, he felt both happy for them and anxious about losing such valuable workers.
Boss asks workers to return to work once they tell him about their $40M winnings
Woods expressed his joy for his team but also shared his concern.
He joked that he would “run after them and steal their ticket” if they didn’t come back to work.
He clearly valued his team, saying they were great workers and his best shift.
The miners are not just employees to him; they are part of a close-knit group.
“It is my best shift. They are all from here,” he said.
After the big win, many people wondered if the miners would choose to return to work.
Winning such a large sum could mean financial freedom, and it’s common for lottery winners to change their lives dramatically.
However, the situation may not be as simple as it seems.
In a similar case, another group of workers won a $43 million lottery prize.
One of the winners, Kylie Owen, said that winning felt “amazing” and brought excitement to the whole town.
Despite this life-changing event, she decided to keep her job and continue working. She mentioned that she would not change her routine and still go to work every day.
This shows that not all lottery winners choose to quit their jobs right away.
Some feel a sense of responsibility to their coworkers and prefer to stay grounded.
In another example, a man who won $50 million in a different lottery continued to wake up early for work.
He did not want to let his colleagues down and decided to keep his job.