The people photographed above tried to avoid having their names released.

But when Friedrich and Annand Mayrhofer and their son Eric attempted to collect their whopping lottery winnings through a trust, the B.C. Lottery Corporation refused to do that unless the beneficiaries were disclosed.

The Mayrhofers bought their ticket in the Lotto Max at Shoppers Drug Mart on 48 Avenue in Langley. The draw was on March 14, 2014. On March 9 of this year, their lawyer presented the winning ticket to lottery officials.

"The fact that the ticket was claimed by a trust led to a lengthy prize claim review," the B.C. Lottery Corporation revealed in a news release. "The unique nature of the claim required BCLC to consult with the Inter-Provincial Lottery Corporation (ILC), the national organization that oversees Lotto Max across Canada."

In June, the ILC and the B.C. Lottery Corporation ruled that the prize would only be claimed by individuals and not by a trust.

Four months later, the family submitted their claim as a group.

"Throughout this process we have been guided by the principle of maintaining integrity of the lottery system—which we uphold by ensuring prizes are paid to the right people and by publicizing winners," B.C. Lottery Corporation president and CEO Jim Lightbody said in a news release.

For his part, Fred Mayrhofer said his family is "quiet".

"Our plans are to renovate our home, buy some new furniture and maybe take a sunny vacation," he stated.