This is one of the biggest wins in American lottery history. A person won the jackpot on Friday evening, more than 1.33 billion dollars (1.30 billion euros), announced on Saturday July 30, the organizers of Mega Millions on their website (in English). The jackpot was initially estimated at $1.28 billion, but “the final value was higher than the estimate”based on actual sales, explained Mega Millions.
“Winner Alert: Mega Millions players, check your ticket! A lucky winner has taken home $1,280,000,000! If you bought your ticket at the Speedway in Des Plaines, IL, you could be the winner!”tweeted the lottery of this central-eastern state.
Winner Alert: Mega Millions® players, check your ticket! A lucky winner won $1,280,000,000! If you purchased your ticket from Speedway in Des Plaines, IL, you could be the winner! https://t.co/AidZEHZGHc pic.twitter.com/Jus6gwQTMY
— Illinois Lottery (@IllinoisLottery) July 30, 2022
“We can’t wait to find out who won and hope to congratulate the winner soon!”added in a press release Pat McDonald, a manager of Mega Millions.
Friday’s 1.337 billion represents what the lucky winner would get if they agreed to spread the payment over 30 years. If he wanted to receive his prize all at once, he would receive “only” 780 million, part of which would then be deducted by taxes, according to an estimate by Mega Millions.
The jackpot for this lottery has grown steadily for more than three months, as have its players’ dreams of fortune, with no one having guessed the six correct numbers in the previous thirty draws. The chances of winning this staggering sum were only one in nearly 303 million.