Michigan Ticket Wins $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot
Saturday January 23rd 2021One very lucky Michigan lottery player hit the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot on Friday night. The historic prize is the second-largest ever in the history of the game, and the biggest lottery win ever in Michigan.
High sales pushed the jackpot to $1 billion just hours before the draw. The single winning ticket matched all six numbers drawn on January 22: white balls 4, 26, 42, 50 and 60, and the gold Mega Ball 24. The life-changing ticket was purchased from Kroger at 47650 Grand River Avenue in Novi, eight miles northwest of Detroit.
Friday's jackpot is the 18th Mega Millions grand prize won in the state, which was one of the game's founders. The last Mega Millions jackpot win for a Michigan ticket was in October 2017, and the prize was split with a Rhode Island winner.
The new billionaire will have a choice between two ways to receive their winnings. The annuity offers the full advertised jackpot (minus taxes), with an initial payout followed by 29 yearly payments. The other option is a single lump-sum cash payment of the funds currently in the prize pool - approximately $739 million, or about $530 million after withholdings.
Michigan law does not allow winners of multi-state games, including Mega Millions, to stay anonymous, although it does require written permission from the player to disclose their identity if they've won $10,000 or above on in-state games such as Lotto 47.
Friday's prize, which has a $739.6 million cash option, is the third-highest in US lottery history, and the second-biggest ever for Mega Millions, only exceeded by the amazing $1.537 billion won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018. That prize still holds the record as the world's largest lottery win by a single ticket. In January 2016, a record Powerball jackpot of $1.586 billion was shared by three tickets.
The Mega Millions top prize had been rolling over a record 37-draw run; it was last won on September 15, 2020 in Wisconsin. This run generated nearly 42.8 million prizes at all tiers, including 70 Match 5 second prize-winning tickets valued at $1 million or above won in 24 jurisdictions across the country.
The Mega Millions win comes just days after a ticket in Maryland hit the $731.1 million Powerball jackpot on Wednesday - the game's fourth-largest prize and the sixth-largest in US lottery history.
Big Mega Millions Wins Nationwide
Friday's draw produced exciting wins for players from coast to coast, as the historic jackpot drove soaring ticket sales. 10 tickets matched all five white balls to take home $1 million each.
Two of those, purchased in North Carolina and Virginia, are actually valued at $2 million after the Megaplier multiplier was added to the ticket for an extra $1.
Of the $1 million tickets, two each were sold in Florida and New York, and one each in Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Additionally, 187 winners matched four white balls and the Mega Ball to win the game's $10,000 third prize. 31 of those tickets are $20,000 each due to the addition of the Megaplier, which was 2X on Friday.
Check your numbers now to see if you're a winner!
Feeling lucky? The next chance to win Mega Millions is Tuesday, January 26, with a $20 million starting jackpot ($14.7 million cash) up for grabs. Or if you'd like to play sooner, there's a $20 million Powerball jackpot to be won tonight, Saturday, January 23. Tickets for both games are available now.
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