Shivangi Sinha
In 2018, Javier Zapata made headlines when he claimed to have won the Kino lottery in Chile. What initially seemed like a life-changing moment quickly turned sour when it was revealed that his ticket was torn and could not be officially verified. Mocked by many as a “fraud,” Zapata endured years of personal struggles but continued to insist that the prize money rightfully belonged to him. Netflix’s documentary ‘Millionaire’ (originally titled ‘Millonario’) explores his controversial story, which left the nation divided.
Javier Zapata Alleged He Was Unfairly Denied the Lottery Prize Money
Javier Zapata spent most of his life in Los Ángeles, Chile, working hard on his cattle farm to make a living. Though life was modest, he always considered himself fortunate and believed he had the best of what mattered most, including a loving family. He and his wife, Blanca, met under unusual circumstances. She was married at the time but eventually left her husband to begin a new life with Zapata. Together, they had a daughter and started their simple and stable life. Zapata had been a longtime bettor and frequently purchased Kino lottery tickets. He was convinced that luck would one day be on his side. Zapata claimed he had purchased the winning Kino lottery ticket on March 4, 2018, but later forgot about it.
According to his account, while cleaning at home, dust blew into his face, and as he reached for a napkin, he accidentally pulled the ticket out along with it, which ended up in the trash. After the winners were announced, he said that he realized that he had the winning ticket, but by then it was missing. Zapata added that he recovered part of the torn ticket from the trash, which had been scattered by dogs, but when he presented it, the lottery officials did not validate it. The prize was worth approximately $2.5 million at the time, and he firmly maintained that he was the rightful winner and deserved the money. What followed was a complicated dispute that began when the company offered to check the ticket’s validity, but Zapata declined, believing they were biased against him. The situation grew even more tangled when another man, José Próspero Rivera, also claimed to be the rightful winner.
Zapata insisted that the company search the trash area, and eventually, a small scrap of paper containing a few numbers was found. However, the company maintained that the security verification was incomplete. In 2022, Zapata filed a lawsuit with Concepción’s civil court, and the case continued to drag on. Life was far from easy for Zapata during this time. While working on his farm, he suffered a serious accident that caused him to lose all the tendons in his arm, leaving him unable to work for months. As someone who relied on farm labor to provide for his family, the injury was a major setback. Tragedy struck again when his mother, Luisa, passed away due to a lack of funds for her treatment. Though Zapata slowly tried to rebuild, in July 2024, the court officially rejected his claim to the prize.
Javier Zapata is Running a Cattle Farm Alongside His Wife Today
After the court rejected his claim in July 2024, Javier Zapata refused to give up. Just weeks later, he filed an appeal against the judgment and is determined to continue fighting for what he believes is rightfully his. Despite the legal setbacks, he has managed to rebuild parts of his life. With the support of close friends, he was able to recover and restart his cattle farm, which he now runs alongside his wife, Blanca Vásquez. The farm not only provides for the family but also gives him a sense of stability after years of struggle.
Zapata remains deeply committed to securing a better future for his daughter, Mariela, who is still in school. He hopes to give her the opportunities he never had, using both his hard work on the farm and the possibility of eventually winning his lottery battle. He has continued to allege that the man recognized as the official winner was part of a scheme orchestrated by the lottery company and insists that the prize has been unfairly withheld. Still based in Los Ángeles, Chile, he holds onto hope and believes that one day justice will be served and his perseverance will be rewarded.
Read More: José Rivera: What Happened to the Alleged Lottery Winner?
