Single winner from Illinois wins $1.34B Mega Millions jackpot
One very lucky person who bought their lottery ticket at an Illinois gas station was the lone winner of the jaw-dropping $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot — the third largest in US history, game officials said.
The ticket was sold at the Speedy Café Speedway in Des Plaines, Illinois, said Harold Mays, director of the Illinois Lottery.
“We have not heard from the winner yet,” Mays said during a Saturday press conference.
“We don’t know whether or not they’re aware they’ve won a prize. So I encourage everyone to check your ticket.”
The winning numbers in Friday’s drawing were 67, 45, 57, 36, and 13. The Mega Millions ball was 14.
The mystery winner has 12 months from the draw to claim their Mega-prize, and 60 days to choose the cash option or annual payments.
Interest in the rising pot was so large that it ballooned nearly $60 million overnight Friday before the results were announced early Saturday.
Other lucky winners included a second place ticket purchased at New Way Deli & Lottery Corp. on East Kingsbridge Road in the Bronx worth a comparatively paltry $1,000,002.
“We feel lucky!” a worker at the deli who goes by the name Big Al. “It’s the second time. It’s a beautiful thing.”
“Lightning usually doesn’t strike in the same spot. Hopefully next time it’ll be the big one,” added the worker, who recalled a winning lottery ticket also worth $1 million being sold there five years back.
However, most customers there were disappointed they weren’t among the big winners.
“It wasn’t me, and I play here all the time,” said Daisy Braxton, who came by to check her ticket against winner numbers and also buy another lottery ticket.
The winner has the option to receive the $1.34 billion over the course of 29 years, or a lump sum of $780 million cash prize, excluding taxes, Mays said.
The operators of the Illinois gas station where the winning ticket was sold will be awarded a $500,000 “selling bonus,” he added.
Employees at the gas station declined to comment.
The jackpot was the second-largest in Mega Millions history, trailing only a $1.537 billion winning ticket in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018. That winner remains unknown.
The world-record jackpot of $1.586 billion was awarded on Jan. 13, 2016 in the Powerball lottery. It was shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee.
