£26million lottery winner keeps jackpot secret - even from his wife and children

A man who pocketed the equivalent of £26million ($30m) in the lottery has said he will not tell his family incase it makes them lazy or "feel superior to other people".

The lucky winner, who was identified only under the pseudonym Li, dressed up a in a cartoon costume while receiving his prize so to hide his identity.

Li bought 40 tickets using the same seven numbers for each so when those seven numbers came up he won big.

He picked the tickets up in the Chinese province of Guangxi Zhuang for 80 yuan (£9.50).

The payout for each was 5.48 million yuan meaning the total was just under 220 million yuan (£26million).

Li's winning ticket in which he used the same seven numbers he has used for years (Baidu)

Dressing up as a cartoon character has become a popular way for winners to protect their identities.

Although he's donated 5 million yuan (£600k) to charity, he hasn't told his family of the good fortune.

He said: “I have not told my wife or kid. I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in future."

Li will take home 171 million yuan (£20.3m) after donating the 5 million yuan to charity and being taxed 43 million yuan, reports South China Post.

He realised he had won on Friday October 21 but wouldn't be able to pick his winnings up until the Monday.

Li didn't sleep the night he won but took a train the very next morning to the nearby town of Nanning, where he stayed in a hotel for the weekend.

He said: “I slept in the hotel during those two days. I did not go outside that weekend because I did not want to lose my tickets."

“I only won a few dozen yuan in the past,” Li was quoted as saying.

“I regard buying the lottery as a hobby, and my family does not care. Plus, I do not spend much money on it, and the lottery provides a ray of hope for me.”

The lucky man put on a costume whie picking up his winnings to hide his identity (Baidu)

Li is still trying to figure out how he will spend the winnings.

He said: “I haven’t decided yet, and I will take some time to plan how to use the money."

Despite not telling his wife, the winnings will be considered a joint asset.

Experts warned Li might violate the Chinese Marriage Law by “infringing on his wife’s right to know”.