Person in Michigan wins Mega Millions' $1 billion Dollar, 2nd-largest total ever

The drawing for the $739.6 million cash was Friday night.

TheEditor
TheEditor
24 January 2021 Sunday 12:15
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Person in Michigan wins Mega Millions' $1 billion Dollar, 2nd-largest total ever

One lucky person is taking home a $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

Historical Saturday, lotto officials announced that a person in Michigan won the prize, estimated at $1 billion or $739.6 million if the winner pick a lump-sum payment -- until taxes.

The winning ticket was sold at a Kroger in Novi, a northern suburb of Detroit -- about a 30-minute drive from the town -- the state lottery website confirmed. The winning numbers were 4-26-42-50-60 using a Mega Ball number of 24.

The winner's identity hasn't been revealed, but, per state lottery rules, they need to come forward to claim their winnings.

The winner will have two options to accumulate the album prize, the lottery said in a statement:"The first is the escalating annuity that offers a first payment, then yearly payments for 29 years. The participant also may select a one-time cash payment of about $739 million. If a player selects the cash option, they will receive about $530 million after tax withholdings."

The Mega Millions jackpot had increased to $1 billion for Friday night's drawing.

It's the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history as well as the third-largest in U.S. lottery history, Mega Millions lottery officials said. The 1.537 billion acquired by someone in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018 remains the world's largest lotto prize ever given on a single ticket.

This is the 18th Mega Millions jackpot won in Michigan, according to a lottery press release. The previous winner in the country shared the prize with a Rhode Island winner on Oct. 13, 2017. Until Friday night's win, the largest lottery prize ever won with a Michigan player was a $337 million Powerball jackpot. Donald Lawson, of Lapeer, won it on Aug. 15, 2012. On April 22, 2005, Port Huron few Ralph and Mary Stebbins won $208 million playing Mega Millions -- it had been the largest Mega Millions prize ever won in the nation.

Michigan is one of the original founding members of Mega Millions.

"Approximately 97 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned into the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players and commissions to vendors and retailers," the state lottery said in a statement. "At the 2019 financial year, the Lottery provided over $1 billion for Michigan's public colleges, its fifth record contribution in a row. Since it started in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $23 billion to support public education in Michigan."

Each will take home $1 million. Also, two individuals -- one in North Carolina and one in Virginia -- won the Match 5 Megaplier. Each will take home $2 million.