Florida Ticket Holder Wins Record $1.58 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot
In an incredible stroke of luck, one ticket buyer in Florida has become an overnight billionaire after hitting the record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot of $1.58 billion on Tuesday. Lottery officials have confirmed that this is the highest jackpot ever won in the history of the Mega Millions games.
The winning ticket was the only one that matched all six numbers, making the lucky Floridian the sole winner of the massive prize. Additionally, tickets matching five of the six winning numbers and worth $1 million or more were sold in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina.
The California ticket, sold in Hilmar near Modesto, is worth an impressive $3.3 million. The winning numbers for the record-breaking jackpot were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33, with the Mega Ball number being 14.
This Mega Millions drawing surpasses the previous highest jackpot of $1.537 billion, which was won by a single ticket sold in South Carolina. The cash payout option for the current jackpot is estimated at a staggering $783.3 million. However, the lottery cautions that predicting jackpots accurately at this level is challenging.
To put this monumental win into perspective, the $1.58 billion jackpot is larger than all but two other U.S. lottery drawings. The first is a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in January 2016, and the second is a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022.
Since the last Mega Millions jackpot win in New York on April 18, there have been 31 drawings held, contributing to the massive jackpot. Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, who is also the lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, expressed excitement about the continuous growth of Mega Millions. She thanked the players and retailers for their support, emphasizing that the funds raised benefit numerous good causes funded by participating lotteries.
This marks the fifth time that a Mega Millions jackpot has reached the billion-dollar mark. The previous four $1 billion jackpots were won in 2018, 2021, 2022, and January 2023.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 for one play, and players must match all five numbers plus the Mega Ball number to claim the jackpot. The odds of winning the jackpot are a staggering 1 in 302,575,350.
As the news of this incredible win spreads, many lottery enthusiasts will undoubtedly be dreaming of their own chance to strike it rich.
In addition to the jackpot winner, what other states had ticket holders who won at least $1 million in the Mega Millions game
The lucky winner of the record-breaking $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot has been revealed as a ticket holder from Florida. In an unprecedented turn of events, this fortunate individual has instantly become a billionaire overnight. This incredible win has secured their place in history as the recipient of the highest jackpot ever won in the Mega Millions games.
Officials have confirmed that the winning ticket is the sole one that successfully matched all six numbers. With this extraordinary stroke of luck, the Floridian ticket holder stands alone as the fortunate winner of this enormous prize. However, it’s important to note that tickets matching five out of the six winning numbers, and worth at least $1 million, were also sold in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Florida.
Wow, talk about a life-changing moment! Congratulations to the lucky Florida man!