Quit your job to travel, bring the whole family together in a “humble mansion” and even buy a football team to compete for your city. There are many dreams for those who go to the lottery, hoping to match the six numbers of the Mega-Sena da Virada, which promises a prize of at least R$600 million.
Owner of a snack bar in the central area of Brasília, Enock Góes, 70 years old, says he has never heard the song Moneyby the English band Pink Floyd. But, with the prize money in hand, he would do the same as described, ironically, in the song’s lyrics. “My dream is to buy a football team, to play for my city”, said the candidate with the top hat.
Enock is from the Bahian city of Conde, located near the border with Sergipe. “I’m a Bahia fan, but my desire is to put together a team to compete against the team I love,” he adds.
Enock Góes from Bahia dreams of buying a football team in his homeland – Joédson Alves/Agência Brasil
He says he knows the entire region of his hometown. In particular, tournaments with many very skilled amateur players. “I’ve seen a lot of talent not taken advantage of, due to lack of someone to invest in. That’s what I want to do with the prize money”, added the former amateur football player who, being ambidextrous and a 100-meter dash champion, stood out playing at both ends of the field.
The Bahian estimates that assembling this team would cost around R$10 million. The remainder would be invested in the purchase of properties, in order to guarantee income for him, his wife and three children.
In addition to victories on the field, Enock has also won in lottery games. “I always play, both in pools and individually. I’ve even won two courts and eight suits at Quina”, he says. With the amount received, he invested in a cigar distributor and a restaurant.
“This time, the first thing I will do is take the boss to Costa do Sauípe and fill her with gold bracelets and earrings. She loves it. She has been my companion for over 40 years. We are from the same city, and that is where we will return”, he added.
“Humble mansion”
With the award, Salomão Barros intends to help the whole family and donate to friends the magazine store he has in the central area of Brasília – Joédson Alves/Agência Brasil
Salomão Barros, 57 years old, has also had luck at gambling. He even won a court and made several suits. The last prize received reached R$4,000. “As I’m always playing, I’ve obviously already spent more than I received,” said the merchant, who usually spends between R$70 and R$80 for each draw.
He says that, despite playing luck, he is not very superstitious with numbers. “The choice is always through the lottery computer.” If he has great luck, he intends to use the money to live on income, and says he will donate the magazine store he owns, also in the central area of Brasília, to friends.
The income to be obtained from the investments will be shared among his six children. He says he will also buy a “humble mansion” where not only his children can fit, but also his current and ex-wives. “We are all friends. There will be no problem. It’s just that I don’t want to leave anyone out”, he explains.
Lawyer Waldisley da Silva, 34 years old, says he also has luck when betting on the lottery, even though he doesn’t play regularly. “I only play occasionally, but I already won a corner at Mega da Virada, in 2013. I received around R$20,000.”
For lawyer Valdisley da Silva, who is 34 years old and dreams of a humble mansion, “the sky is the limit” – Joédson Alves/Agência Brasil
He says he would even have difficulty deciding what to do if he wins the R$600 million prize to be drawn on December 31, 2024. “Hail Mary… with this money you can do a lot of things. The sky is the limit. To begin with, I will travel to many countries and enjoy life with my couple of children and my wife.”
“That’s enough money to buy my peace of mind and do whatever I want,” he added. Waldisley also intends to renovate the house and quit law. “I never want to see work in front of me again.”
