The sole winner of Australia’s largest individual lottery prize has come forward – revealing a surprising confession.

An Adelaide man, described only by lottery officials as “middle-aged”, held the lone division-one winning ticket in Thursday night’s $150 million Powerball jackpot.

The man, who sparked a South Australia-wide appeal to come forward after scooping the record pool, contacted The Lott on Friday morning.

“Woohoo! I’m still pinching myself,” he said.

“I can’t believe it. I’m the mystery winner, I’m Australia’s biggest lottery winner ever?”

The man said he was a regular Powerball player and had two tickets in Thursday night’s jackpot draw.

“I looked at the clock last night and saw it was getting late and thought the draw should have been done by then,” he said.

“I checked the first one and it came up with nothing, then I scanned the second one and it said $150 million. I’ve never screamed so loud or jumped so high.

“This was late last night and I still haven’t slept. I’ve just kept checking the ticket.”

The Lott said the winning entry was bought at OTR Salisbury Drive Thru, in Salisbury, in Adelaide’s north. But the man did not register it, so officials had no way of alerting him to his mammoth win.

“I just bought my ticket as I was filling up the car the other day and randomly bought my ticket there,” he said.

The odds of a single entry winning Thursday night’s division-one prize were more than 134 million to one – about the same chance as being struck by lightning twice in a lifetime.

The $150 million is the third-largest lottery prize in Australian history. There were no winning entries in last week’s $100 million draw, prompting the jackpot to roll higher for a sixth consecutive week.

Despite his new-found wealth, the lucky winner said he was off to work on Friday, as normal.

“I know it may sound crazy but I’m going to continue working. I’m at work today,” he said.

“I’ll buy a house, want to travel the world and I’ve got a family and friends I want to help, but for now I can’t wrap my head around how big this prize is.

“This is life-changing. I can’t stop smiling and pinching myself.”

The man’s $150 million payout is the third-largest lottery prize in Australian history.

In February two people shared a $200 million Powerball win. In 2002 a $160 million jackpot was carved up between three ticket holders.