Minnesota Couple Claim Mega Millions Jackpot
Saturday April 30th 2022Minnesota’s $110 million Mega Millions jackpot winners have wasted no time stepping forward to claim their prize just weeks after their amazing win on April 12.
It was the first-ever Mega Millions jackpot hit in Minnesota since the state joined the game in 2010.
The winners are a married couple who have chosen to stay anonymous, something that's only been allowed under Minnesota law since September 1, 2021. The prize is the largest claimed yet under the law, which makes the names and cities of players who won more than $10,000 private data unless they specifically opt in to have their details made public.
The new multimillionaires chose to receive their prize as the cash option, valued at approximately $66.9 million before withholdings of 24% in federal taxes and 7.25% in Minnesota state taxes.
Their lucky ticket hit all six numbers drawn on April 12. The white balls were 2, 8, 14, 20 and 31, and the gold Mega Ball was 17. The ticket was sold at Holiday Stationstores at 14350 Xkimo St. NW in Ramsey. The retailer received a $50,000 bonus from the Minnesota Lottery.
The couple revealed that a sweet story is behind the big win. April 17, 1990 was a day of firsts - the first Minnesota Lottery scratch tickets went on sale, and the couple had their first date, eating pizza and playing scratch tickets.
Those scratch tickets played a direct role in their big Mega Millions win, because Ms. Winner has been playing the same numbers ever since, only changing one or two numbers now and then.
Since the end of last year, she’s played every draw, and her persistence has certainly paid off. “Thank goodness! If I had seen those numbers and I didn’t have a ticket …” she told Minnesota Lottery officials.
On the night of the draw, she’d gone to sleep early, before waking up to see that it was after 10:00 PM. She looked at the results on her phone and the familiar numbers jumped out at her immediately. However, like many winners she just couldn’t quite believe her luck at first, and re-checked the numbers multiple times.
Her husband was in the basement watching sports. “I texted him, ‘Come up here right now, I’m not even kidding.’” He ran up the stairs and she showed him the results. “Are those your numbers?” he exclaimed. “Do you have a ticket?”
After the news sunk in, the couple managed to sleep for a few hours before heading off to work. However, productivity proved a challenge. “I got about five minutes of work done,” said Ms. Lottery Winner.
Since then, the winners have told a few family members and co-workers. Prior to claiming, they took prudent steps to plan for their new future, putting together a team including a lawyer, financial advisor and accountant. They said their short-term plans are “typical” - buying a house and car and taking time to travel.
Upcoming Jackpots
Your next chance to hit the Mega Millions jackpot is Tuesday, May 3, with a grand prize of $57 million available (cash option $33.9 million).
Meanwhile, Powerball is offering a $20 million top prize tonight, Saturday, April 30, with a cash value of $12 million - could the jackpot be won two draws in a row? It wouldn't be the first time!
Don't miss out - pick up your tickets for both games now.
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