The fortunate Mega Millions jackpot winner from last November has emerged in Georgia.
One ticket from a Publix supermarket in Newman, Georgia, matched the winning numbers of 1, 8, 11, 12, 57, and the gold Mega Ball 7 during the Mega Millions drawing on November 14. The ticket received a $983 million annuitized reward or a $453.6 million one-time cash option. It was the fifteenth-richest lottery prize in American history.
The Georgia Lottery revealed on Tuesday that the winner had chosen the lump cash option and redeemed the generation-changing prize. After paying state and federal taxes, the winner received about $262.7 million. The reward is the biggest lottery payout in Georgia's history.
"We are thrilled to celebrate Georgia’s record-breaking jackpot winner and their life-changing start to the new year,” said Gretchen Corbin, president and CEO of the Georgia Lottery.
According to Corbin, the lottery's proceeds support Georgia's Pre-K Program and the state's HOPE Scholarship Program, making the unprecedented jackpot important for Georgian students, families, and communities.
The winner is still unknown
According to Georgia's lottery regulations, recipients of jackpots above $250,000 may choose to stay anonymous. They will always remain anonymous.
The winner gave the Georgia Lottery some information on how they intended to utilize the money, even though they wanted to keep their identity private. According to lottery authorities, the winner intends to "be generational"—that is, to save the money for future generations. Additionally, the winner is "thankful to be in a position to give" and intends to "give back to good causes."
The previous record for the largest lottery win in Georgia, a $230.6 million portion of a Powerball jackpot in October 2024, was easily surpassed by the $453.6 million pre-tax cash award.
The Georgia Lottery awarded a $50K incentive bonus to the Publix grocery shop #1816 at 4000 N. Highway 29 in Newnan, which sold the winning Mega Millions ticket.
Officials in Arkansas Await
The lottery in Arkansas is eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winner of the $1.817 billion jackpot that was won on Christmas Eve.
One ticket sold in Arkansas won the Powerball jackpot, which included a $834.9 million cash option. Winners of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery have 180 days from the draw date to claim their winnings.
The lottery law in Arkansas also permits winners to stay anonymous for three years prior to their identities being made public. The Walmart Supercenter in Cabot's Murphy USA gas station sold the winning Powerball bet. 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, and the red Powerball 19 were the winning numbers.
The second-largest lottery prize in US history was $1.817 billion.
