From the department of “good things come to those who wait,” nearly nine months after a winning Mega Millions was sold, the winner has claimed the prize.
The winning ticket was sold on March 26, 2024, at the ShopRite grocery and liquor store on Route 66 in Neptune Township, New Jersey.
The single ticket hit the $1.13 billion jackpot by matching all six winning numbers: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and the gold Mega Ball 4. The winner, who will remain anonymous, defied the staggering odds of one in over 302.5 million.
What’s the Lump Sum for a $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot?
The winner chose a lump sum cash payment of $537.5 million, making the March 2024 Mega Millions (NJ) win the ninth-largest cash lottery prize in U.S. history and the sixth-largest in Mega Millions history.
While some states require lottery winners to disclose their identity to uphold public trust, New Jersey allows winners of over $600 to remain anonymous. However, winners of prizes below that threshold must identify themselves to claim their payout.
In 2020, New Jersey lawmakers unanimously passed an amendment to the state's lottery law, allowing winners to redeem their prizes anonymously. According to lottery representatives, the $1.13 billion jackpot winner remained unidentified due to privacy.
What Are the Largest Mega Millions Jackpots Ever Won?
Although $1.13 billion is a lot of money, it’s still not the biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever awarded. That happened in Florida last year.
Here are the ten largest Mega Millions jackpots ever won, according to the lottery:
- $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023: Won in Florida
- $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: Won in Maine
- $1.337 billion: July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois
- $1.1 billion, March 23, 2024: Won in New Jersey
- $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
- Current jackpot – $1 Billion
- $800 million, Sept. 10, 2024: Won in Texas
- $656 million, March 30, 2012: Three winners in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013: Two winners in California, Georgia
As you can see, 7 out of the top 10 had a single winning ticket.
Next $1 Billion Mega Millions Drawing Is Tonight
Ironically, someone may have the greatest Christmas present ever delivered tonight. The current jackpot continues to climb up the list of the biggest jackpots ever. It’s $1 billion.
The cash option on that prize comes out to about $439.9 million. Nobody has won the jackpot since September 10, and the next drawing will be tonight.
Talk about a Merry Christmas.
If you can’t make it to the store today, some online casinos and sportsbooks (like DraftKings) allow you to purchase lottery tickets through their apps. But remember, always play responsibly.
