Lotto winner S. Gayle poses with his cheque. - Contributed

Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) says that the winner of the huge $240-million jackpot has finally stepped forward and yesterday claimed his prize.

In a release sent to the media yesterday, SVL said that the long-awaited winner of the historic jackpot is S. Gayle, a 52-year-old farmer from Manchester.

He is said to have visited the lottery company's corporate office a little over a month after the draw.

locked it away safely

The release further said that Gayle found out that he was the winner when he listened to the live draw.

Immediately after the draw, Gayle is reported to have said to his friends he was "going home to have a bath and go to bed." When he got home, he signed the back of the winning ticket and locked it away safely.

Gayle, who is said to have been purchasing lotto since its inception in 1994, said he took such a long time to claim his prize because "I decided to take the time to relax and sort myself out."

Gayle plans to invest most of the money in real estate and farming, his first love.