Most lottery winners dream of the instant thrill: a massive check, champagne celebrations, maybe a sports car by weekend’s end. But when Charlie Lagarde scratched off her winning *Gagnant à Vie* ticket at a Montreal convenience store, she made a choice that would have financial advisors applauding—and her peers scratching their heads.
She said no to KSh 130 million in cash.
Instead, the 20-year-old chose to receive KSh 130,000 every single week for the rest of her life.
“Everyone thinks I’m crazy,” Lagarde admitted with a laugh as lottery officials presented her with the unique prize structure. “But I’m thinking about my future, not just this weekend.”
The mathematics of her decision reveal a stunning possibility: If Lagarde lives to the average Canadian female life expectancy of 84 years, she’ll collect approximately KSh 433 million over her lifetime—more than three times the lump sum she declined.
Even if she only collects for 30 years, she’d receive KSh 203 million, surpassing the instant payout by over 56%.
Quebec’s *Loto-Québec* officials say they’ve seen this choice before, but rarely from someone so young. The weekly payment option exists precisely to protect winners from the notorious “lottery curse”—the phenomenon where sudden wealth leads to bankruptcy, broken relationships, and regret.
“We’ve watched countless winners take the lump sum, make poor investments, get targeted by opportunistic ‘friends,’ and end up worse off than before they won,” explained Marie-Claude Bourbonnais, a lottery official who has witnessed both triumph and tragedy among winners. “Charlie’s choice shows remarkable maturity.”
Lagarde’s plan is deceptively simple: save the weekly payments and eventually purchase a home. At KSh 6.76 million annually, she could afford a substantial down payment within just a few years while still maintaining her current lifestyle.
“I’m young,” she reasoned. “I don’t need a mansion right now. I need stability. I need to know that no matter what happens—if I lose a job, if the economy crashes—I have that money coming in every week.”
Financial experts point out additional advantages to Lagarde’s strategy that aren’t immediately obvious. The weekly structure acts as a built-in financial advisor, preventing catastrophic single purchases. It also shields her from becoming a target for scammers, aggressive salespeople, and distant relatives who suddenly remember they exist.
Perhaps most importantly, it gives her time to learn. At 20, Lagarde will receive financial education through experience, watching her money accumulate gradually rather than managing an overwhelming sum all at once.
“Think of it as a paid apprenticeship in wealth management,” noted financial planner Jean Tremblay, who wasn’t involved in Lagarde’s decision but praised it. “She’s essentially being forced to live responsibly while still having a safety net that most people never experience.”
When asked what she’ll do now, Lagarde’s answer was refreshingly ordinary: she’s keeping her part-time job at a local café.
“The weekly payments mean I don’t have to stress about money, but I still want to work, still want to have goals,” she explained. “This isn’t about retiring at 20. It’s about never having to panic about paying rent, about being able to help my family when they need it, about building something real.”
As she left the lottery office with her first check in hand, Lagarde smiled at the cameras but declined to pose with an oversized novelty check. There would be 52 more checks this year, and thousands more to follow.
For once, the real winner of the lottery might be patience itself.
At current rates, Lagarde will receive her 1,000th weekly payment at age 39, having collected KSh 130 million—matching the lump sum she declined. Every payment after that is pure gain, a gift she gave to her future self at 20.
How a 20-Year-Old’s Patience Could Win Her Millions More
