Single Winner Of Mega Millions $1.05B

One lucky ticket-holder in Michigan purchased a winning ticket for the $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the third-largest prize in U.S. history. 

The winner has yet to be recognized, but the ticket was purchased at a Kroger store in Novi, a suburb of Detroit. The winning numbers were 4, 26, 42, 50, and 60, with a Mega Ball of 24. 

“Someone in Michigan woke up to this news this morning, and Kroger Michigan congratulates the newest Michigan multimillionaire,” a regional spokeswoman for the Kroger grocery chain commented. No further comments were made.

The Mega Millions jackpot had grown since September 15, 2020, when a lucky person from Wisconsin won the jackpot. 

Just two days prior to the Mega Millions $1b jackpot, a ticket in Maryland had matched all six numbers of the Powerball lottery, winning $731.1 million. 

One-time Payout or Long-Term "Salary?"

The lucky winner from Michigan has the option of taking a lump sum of an estimated $776.6 million before taxes, or, an annual payout of 30 annual installments. Most winners choose the cash payout, which in this case would be around $557 million after taxes. 

Jake Harris, a representative of the lottery has said that the ticket holder should sign the back of the ticket and keep it in a very safe place. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the winning ticket holder held onto that ticket for a little bit, got their affairs in order, put together a financial plan, and then reached out to contact us,” he commented.

This is the third-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. There were three tickets for a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in January 2016, and one winning ticket was sold for a $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in October 2018.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions lottery are incredibly steep at 1/302.5 million. This makes it one of the toughest lotteries to win. 

It is currently played in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.