A man in southwest China who won the lottery and swiftly divorced his wife without telling her has been ordered by a court to hand over part of his winnings, according to a newspaper report. The man won 4.6 million yuan (HK$5.6 million) in the lottery in February, the Chongqing Morning Post reported. The couple’s relationship had deteriorated since June 2013 when her husband started seeing a former girlfriend. They separated in July last year, but remained married. To the woman’s surprise, her husband demanded an immediate divorce in February, offering to cover the 250,000 yuan debts the couple owed. The wife, Yuan Li, said she had no choice but to sign a divorce agreement. The husband claimed the prize money from a lottery centre the day after the couple divorced, the report said. READ MORE: Chinese lottery winner still waiting for cash nearly three years after buying ticket The woman only found out when her friends congratulated her on his good fortune. She sued her ex-husband, demanding half the prize money, arguing it should be shared evenly as the man bought the lottery ticket when they were still married. She was awarded 1.15 million yuan in compensation by the court, the report said.
