Winner of last month's $1.6 billion Mega Millions...
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Lucky Mega Millions jackpot winner who scooped $1.6billion - the third largest US lottery prize ever - after buying ticket in a Florida supermarket finally comes forward to claim prize
A lucky Mega Millions jackpot winner who scooped up $1.6billion after buying the tickets in a Florida supermarket has finally come forward to claim the prize.
The winner, whose name remains anonymous for 90 days after claiming the prize on September 25, bagged the third-largest prize in US history and one of five Mega Million prizes over a billion.
The lottery did not confirm whether the winner took the lump sum or the annuity, and did not specify the estimated lump sum amount.
They bought their winning ticket at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, a town along the coast near Jacksonville, for the drawing on August 8.
In Florida, winners have to claim the lump sum within 60 days of the drawing and the now billionaire took 49 days to come forward.
They bought their winning ticket at a Publix supermarket (pictured above) in Neptune Beach, a town along the coast near Jacksonville, for the drawing on August 8
If they chose to go with an annuity, which is paid out in 30 annual installments, they would have 180 days to claim the prize.
The winning numbers were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33 and the Mega Ball was 14.
The largest jackpot ever was a Powerball ticket in California worth a whopping $2.04billion from the drawing on November 8, 2022.
The next largest was also a Powerball prize of $1.586billion on January 13, 2016. That prize was split among three winning tickets sold in California, Florida and Tennessee.
Trailing the recent Florida jackpot in third place, three other Mega Millions prizes were the fourth, fifth and sixth largest jackpots.
A single person in South Carolina won $1.537billion on October 23, 2018, while $1.35billion was won in Maine on January 13, 2023, and $1.337billion was won in Illinois on July 29, 2022.
The Maine winner collected the prize in February, and chose to remain anonymous.
The winner collected the cash option through a limited liability company, LaKoma Island Investments LLC, Maine State Lottery officials said.
The winner, whose name remains anonymous for 90 days after claiming the prize on September 25, bagged the third-largest prize in US history and one of five Mega Million prizes over a billion (file image)
Historically, most grand prize winners have opted to receive the prize as a one-time, lump sum payment, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.
Sometimes, winners do opt for the annuity, including the jackpot winner in Virginia from the March 4, 2023 drawing.
That winner, whose name remains anonymous under Virginia law, chose an annuity worth $156.7million to be paid out annually.
Before that, the last time a Powerball winner opted for the annuity was in 2014.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
