Sep 11, 2023
His first move? To buy himself a watermelon--and his wife flowers.
Waldemar “Bud” T. of Montrose, CO won the $5,067,041 Colorado Lotto+ jackpot! Bud, who is retired, was on a backpacking trip in the Holy Cross Wilderness with his golden retriever, Augie, when his winning numbers were chosen for the Wednesday, September 6, 2023, drawing. When he returned from his trip, he checked his ticket on the website and figured “it must be a mistake!"
Even at 77 years old, Bud is an avid outdoorsman who takes advantage of the places Coloradans love to play and the Colorado Lottery funds. Bud loves to bike, hike, climb, and play tennis. Bud and his wife split their time, living six months in Arizona and six months in Colorado every year. "Colorado is the most beautiful place in the world," he says. Bud plays Colorado Lotto+ every month he's in-state and “always” plays his own lucky numbers, using a secret formula to chose.
Bud purchased his winning ticket at Hangin Tree Travel Plaza in Montrose and chose the cash option of $2,533,520. His first move was to buy himself a watermelon--and his wife flowers.
Bud says he and his wife live a simple life, but she does have some upcoming surgeries, so he is happy to be able to now be able to provide some much needed help around the house and yard while she is recovering. He also plans to give back with his winnings. "I'm going to give to some charities and really think about what it is I was meant to do with this," he said.
Congratulations, Bud!
Lottery Dollars Build Great Things
We are proud to say that in the past 40 years, we've given back more than $4 billion —yep, with a "B"— to fund parks, recreation, open space, wildlife projects, and public school construction. Our valued players and committed retailer partners enable us to further enhance our great state's most valuable natural resource — the great outdoors. Learn more about how the Colorado Lottery funds everywhere Coloradans play.