Winners of $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot claim prize in Illinois
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CHICAGO, Illinois — Two people who had an agreement to split a massive $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot if either of them won stuck to their deal and claimed the prize on Wednesday.
The winners, who are remaining anonymous, are taking the jackpot in a lump-sum payment of of $780.5 million before taxes, according to a news release from the Illinois Lottery. The prize, the third-largest in history, was claimed nearly eight weeks after the drawing was held. The deadline to claim the jackpot was Sept. 27.
“I’ve been working for the Illinois Lottery for over five years and this is by far the largest prize I’ve ever had to process,” Illinois Lottery Claims Manager Luis Rodriguez said in a statement. “When we met with the winners’ lawyers there was a real buzz of excitement in the room.
“It’s a surreal feeling giving away this amount of money and knowing what a huge impact this is going to make on the winners’ lives, and for others close to them as well. It was an incredible feeling just to be part of that process – so I can only imagine how the winners themselves are feeling.”
The jackpot-winning ticket was bought at a Speedway gas station and convenience store in Des Plaines, Ill. The winning numbers were 13-36-45-57-67 Mega Ball 14.
The winners have spent the past few weeks working with professional legal and financial advisers to support the claim process, the Illinois Lottery says.
