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Sydney factory worker to take dispute over $40 million lottery win to Supreme Court

A Sydney man who claims he has been cheated out of his share of a $40m Powerball win will take his case to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

A 14-person winning syndicate of Liverpool factory workers stood to win $2.85 million each until one of the members found themselves allegedly ‘excluded’.

A production manager at cable manufacturer Prysmian Group, Brendon King, said he had always been part of the work syndicate.

He thought he had won too, but it is believed he has been told he was in a different syndicate.

"I feel betrayed that a work colleague I've been supportive of, can openly do this," Mr King said in a statement.

The massive multi-million dollar jackpot is due to be paid on Thursday however according to News Corp Mr King at has indicated he intends to seek a delay in the release of the winnings if a suitable agreement is not reached.

Lawyers representing King told News Corp, “We are requesting that Oz Lotteries doesn’t pay any of the winnings to the registered holder of the winning ticket, while it is unclear who was a part of the syndicate and who wasn’t”.

The group won the $40 million Powerball jackpot. Photo: 7 News
The group won the $40 million Powerball jackpot. Photo: 7 News

“The winnings need to be frozen until the dispute is resolved.”

The lucky instant multi-millionaires made the last minute decision to purchase the ticket.

Some of the winners were doing it so tough financially, they were asking for overtime to make ends meet before the winnings were announced.

Sandro Borsato works at the Campbelltown newsagent that sold the winning ticket and said the winners are – not surprisingly – ecstatic with their good fortune.

Sandro Borsato works at the Campbelltown newsagent that sold the winning ticket. Photo: 7 News
Sandro Borsato works at the Campbelltown newsagent that sold the winning ticket. Photo: 7 News
Prysmian Cables & Systems in Liverpool where the syndicate had worked prior to the lotto win. Source: Supplied.
Prysmian Cables & Systems in Liverpool where the syndicate had worked prior to the lotto win. Source: Supplied.

"What? $2.7 mil nearly each, over the moon I think they are,” he told 7 News.

The newsagent was thrilled to have helped change so many lives.

"Aw mate, they say Campbelltown's a lucky area, so yeah, very lucky can't believe it,” Mr Borsato said.


The ticket buyer said the entry was "out of the blue" and made on a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“I got a phone call last night after the draw from one of the syndicate members who asked me to check our ticket because he was sure we'd just won Powerball,” the syndicate leader told the Daily Mail.

“After I checked our ticket and saw that we had all the winning numbers, the phone calls were flying around – my phone was ringing like mad. Everyone was calling everyone about the win – it was crazy!

“I'm just so glad I've had the opportunity to share this unbelievable win with my work colleagues. We're all hard workers and we all put in long shifts at work to earn some extra money for our families.”

The chances of winning the jackpot were three million to one.

Several members of the group, who wish to remain anonymous, have said they will be retiring.

The winners have chosen to remain anonymous, but several have said that retirement is on the cards. Photo: 7 News
The winners have chosen to remain anonymous, but several have said that retirement is on the cards. Photo: 7 News

Other Campbelltown locals have given the new millionaires ideas of how to spend their money.

"Buy a boat, and not sail in it, park it in the harbor,” one man joked. “It's a good way to waste it."

"I would pay off my house, I would buy my kids, each one of them, a house. I would make this business bigger," a cafe owner said.

Another man said he would shout the whole bar a beer.

One lotto player from Western Australia also chose the six winning numbers minus the Powerball and won $23,429.

In 2015, Geelong man Gary Baron was accused of filching $16.7 million in lotto winnings from a workplace syndicate that should have been shared among 14 workmates.