Highland couple celebrates $44 million Lotto win
Published: June 13, 2005
After spending a sleepless Thursday night, Ronaldo Gipulan, a loyal Lotto player for nearly 20 years, learned Friday morning that he won $44 million, a 41,416,353-to-1 shot.
“I did not sleep. I had a feeling I won,” Gipulan said.
On the way to his Highland home Wednesday evening, Gipulan, 57, a sales representative at Bankers Reality, purchased five QuickPicks at the Circle K store at 3405 E. Highland Ave. in San Bernardino, as he has done every Wednesday and Saturday since moving to the area from Ventura in November. And as he has done since the California Lottery began the Super Lotto game 19 years ago.
“When you buy a Lotto ticket, you have a hope you hit it big,” he said.
His wife, Norma, 62, a psychiatric technician at Patton State Hospital, heard from a co-worker that the winning ticket had been purchased at the Highland Avenue Circle K store and no one had come forward to claim the winnings. The Gipulans brought along eight other family members Friday when they came to claim the winnings at the state lottery office in Riverside.
Norma’s sister, Doris Menga, 52, of Oxnard was there for the presentation. She said she had been scheduled to work “but I called in sick.’
The Gipulans are childless but are adopting a 4-year-old girl, who will become an instant heiress.
When he bought the ticket, Ronaldo Gipulan chose a lump sum rather than payments strung out over 26 years. The total to the Gipulans will be about $15.8 million after mandatory state and federal taxes are collected, said Rudy Reyes, sales manager at the Riverside lottery office.
The Gipulans hadn’t decided Friday how they will spend their new fortune but some ideas were taking shape: a chapel in their native Philippines, some charities, a new car to replace their Honda CRV.
“I don’t want a Rolls,” Ronaldo said. “A Lexus is fine.”
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