Calgary lotto winner Tom Crist to give $40M prize away

A Calgary man who won a $40-million lottery prize last May has kept it a secret until now, but says the money will go to charity in memory of his wife.

Tom Crist was golfing in Palm Springs, Calif., in May when his phone rang.

• LISTEN | Tom Cristtalks about the win and where it's going

"As soon as I hung up from my cellphone call from Western Canada Lottery I never thought about it. Wefinished our lunch, we went out golfing. Ive kept it a secret, even my kids didnt know until today," saidCrist on Monday.

I dont really need that money.- Tom Crist, winner of $40M lottery

Crist said thatas soon as he got the call he knew where the money was going to go.

"I lost my wife to cancer two years ago."

His wife of 33 years, Jan, died inFebruary2012. She was 57.

Crist saidcancer was a special concern, becauseof what happened to his wife. "She was fairlyyoung and stuff.She beat it forsix yearsbefore it finally caught up to her."

Cristsaidhe plans to put the money into a family trust fund to be doled out to charities he and his kids pick over the years. Charities such as theCanadian Cancer Society and Calgary'sTom Baker Cancer Centre will be at the top of that list, he says.

Ive been fortunate enough, through my career, 44 years with a company.I did very well for myself.Ive done enough that I can look after myself, for my kids, so they can get looked after into the future. I dont really need that money."

Crist retired as the CEO of EECOL Electric in late September of this year. The electrical wholesale company, with a head office is in Calgary, was sold in December 2012.

Reluctance to go public

Crist said his childrenwere totally behind his plan, but asked why he didn't tell them about itsooner.

I said, 'I just didnt know how to deal with it.' I was hoping that I could just somehow move it into, you know, from the lotto corporation into my trust account and not have the media," saidCrist.

"But, when you buy a ticket youre subject to the rulesof the lottery and thats a picture and a notification especially if its a big win."

So when Crist went in to have his picture taken he went for an understated look a ball cap and sunglasses.

They asked me, Is that your natural look? and I said Yep. Thats all youre getting, he laughed.

Lotterysubscription

Crist plays both Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 by subscription, meaning players can pay for their selections for up to a year at a time.

"I wasnt even sure which game Id won on, or what the numbers were. Ive paid for the subscription when I get the renewal notice every year, and then I just file it sometimes Id get a cheque for $10 or $20, but I never expected this,Cristsaid, in a news release from the lottery corporation.

Subscribers' numbers are checked for them after each draw and they are automatically paid any prizes won.

In the case of any prize over $10,000, subscribers receive a telephone call first.