A single Mega Millions ticket purchased in Neptune, New Jersey, has clinched what is believed to be the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.
The winning ticket, drawn on Tuesday with an estimated jackpot of $1.13 billion, was sold at a ShopRite supermarket in Neptune, announced New Jersey Lottery Executive Director James Carey.
Carey advised the lucky winner, whose identity remains unknown, to promptly sign the back of the ticket, take a photo, make a copy, and store it securely. He further recommended seeking legal counsel and confiding in only close family members.
“Going from an average person to a millionaire or even a hundred-millionaire overnight is something nobody is prepared for,” Carey remarked.
The winning numbers for the historic jackpot were 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and the Mega Ball 4.
The jackpot, payable over 30 years, ranks fifth in Mega Millions history. Alternatively, the winner could opt for a lump-sum payment of approximately $537.6 million (after taxes), as per lottery officials.
This win comes seven months after the record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot of $1.602 billion was claimed by a ticket holder in Neptune Beach, Florida.
The largest-ever US lottery jackpot remains the $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022 by a ticket purchased in California.
In addition to the jackpot winner, thirteen other tickets matched the first five numbers, each securing at least $1 million in prize money. Notable wins include three tickets sold in New York, two each in Georgia and Florida, and one each in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Wednesday’s Powerball drawing presents another opportunity for a substantial payout, with an estimated jackpot of $865 million annuitized, marking the fifth-largest in Powerball history. Alternatively, the winner could opt for a lump sum of approximately $416.1 million (before taxes).
The last Powerball jackpot was won on January 1 by a ticket holder in Michigan, securing an estimated prize of $842.4 million.
With thirty-six consecutive drawings passing without a jackpot winner, the odds of winning any prize in Powerball are 1 in 24.9, while the odds of clinching the jackpot stand at 1 in 292.2 million.