A 20-year-old lottery winner rejected a KSh128 million ($1 million) lump-sum payout and chose instead to receive KSh128,000 ($1,000 dollars) per week for life.

Brenda Aubin-Vega, from Montreal, Canada won a top prize in Loto-Québec’s “Gagnant à Vie” scratch ticket game. The ticket offered two payout options: a one-time lump sum of $1 million or a lifetime annuity of $1,000 per week. Instead of taking the immediate cash, the 20-year-old opted for the weekly payments, a choice that has sparked widespread debate online.

CTV News reports that Brenda told lottery officials she preferred the steady weekly income because it offered long-term financial stability and would help her work toward goals like buying a home.

For many young winners, the idea of a reliable income stream can feel safer and easier to manage than a large lump sum that must be invested or protected from rapid spending.

Financial commentators have noted that at $1,000 per week, the annuity amounts to about $52,000 per year. Over the course of two decades, that would total slightly more than the lump sum, and if she lives many more years, the lifetime payments could eventually exceed $1 million.

However, critics argue that taking the lump sum and investing it wisely could generate far greater wealth, especially for someone as young as 20. Some observers have even described choosing the weekly payout as giving up “generational upside” because a large upfront amount could have been invested in higher-growth assets.

The debate around Brenda’s decision reflects a broader dilemma faced by many lottery winners: stability versus flexibility.

Lump-sum payouts provide immediate access to large sums of money, but require disciplined financial planning to avoid overspending or poor investment choices. Lifetime annuities offer the security of regular payments that can make budgeting simpler, but they may fall short of the potential gains available from wise investing of a lump sum.