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$1.58 billion Mega Millions ticket sold in Florida
A lucky lottery player in Florida hit the jackpot after purchasing a winning Mega Millions ticket worth an estimated $1.58 billion, officials said. The single ticket, which was sold a Publix grocery store in Neptune Beach – a city east of Jacksonville – matched all five numbers, plus the mega ball in Tuesday's drawing to win the largest prize in the game's history.
NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. - The identity of the winner of the record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.6 billion has been revealed!
The winning ticket from the Aug. 8 drawing was first claimed on Sept. 27, but under Florida law, winners claiming prizes worth $250,000 or more are temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the claim date. Now, the Florida Lottery has shared the identity of the winner, who claimed the prize under Saltines Holdings, LLC.
The $1.6 billion lottery prize marks the largest jackpot in Mega Millions in history, and the fourth largest in U.S. history.
When the Florida Lottery first announced the winning Mega Millions ticket had been claimed, it was unknown if they chose a one-time, lump-sum payment or annual payments. On Wednesday, it was revealed that the winner chose to receive the winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $794,248,882.
The winning Quick Pick ticket, which matched all five white ball numbers and the Mega Ball number, was purchased from Publix at 630 Atlantic Blvd. in Neptune Beach, which is located east of Jacksonville near the coast. The grocery store will also get a $100,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.
"This series of 32 rollovers from April to August has not only captured national attention but has also contributed a staggering $73.4 million to further education in Florida," the Florida Lottery said in a press release.
The winner claimed the prize at Lottery HQ in Tallahassee.
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"Cheers to dreams coming true!" the Florida Lottery wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.