What If You Won $1.28 Billion in the Mega Millions Lotto?
This week, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to $1.28 billion, making it the lottery’s second-largest payout since its inception in 1996.
One million people purchased $2 tickets for themselves or a group of friends, family members or coworkers before to the drawing at 11pm on Friday. In the Mega Ball, the Mega Ball was 14, the winning numbers were 67, 45, 57, 36, 13 and 14.
There was no way to tell if anyone had the jackpot winning combination. As in the last 29 lotteries, the sum will rise for the upcoming one on Tuesday if no one purchases a ticket.
One in 303 million people had a chance of winning. It’s safe to say you didn’t win (sorry).
You’ll have to make big life decisions if we’re wrong and luck, fate or prayer brought you to victory. Annual payments or a one-time payment? Is it possible to keep my identity secret? Is a lawyer necessary? What should I do with all of this money, then?
There are millions of people in the United States who have a gambling addiction. At 1-800-522-4700, the National Council on Problem Gambling has a 24-hour hotline for anyone in need of support.
Tickets may be purchased by anyone with a credit card.
Since a winning ticket was sold in Tennessee on April 15, no one had won the jackpot in any of the drawings held every Tuesday and Friday. No one has ever matched all five digits and the Mega Ball before. It all culminated in this $1.28 billion moment.
The Mega Millions lottery is available in 45 states and the District of Columbia, as well as the Virgin Islands. If you live in a state that doesn’t have a ticketing system in place, you can still buy a ticket elsewhere and then go to pick up your reward. Convenience stores and petrol stations sell tickets. Some customers only want to buy one. Others make larger purchases and do so in groups. In some states, they can also be purchased online.
Executives of Raising Cane’s, an American chicken-wing chain, purchased one ticket for each of their 50,000 employees in the $830 million drawing on Tuesday. An eight-hour printing delay didn’t dissuade the company, and they plan to try again on Friday.
The company’s co-chief executive, AJ Kumaran, told FOX’s LiveNOW on Thursday that “we are tripling down.”. “Two dollars more for each of us?”
Previously, what was the outcome of the huge drawings?
Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing came down to nine people matching the first five white balls drawn from numbers one through seventy. They were unable to get their hands on the golden Mega Ball.
When a winning ticket was sold in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021, the jackpot was $1.050 billion, the largest Mega Millions jackpot in history.
There was a record $1.586 billion prize in January 2016 that was shared by winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee, but Friday’s drawing was only the second-largest for this lottery..
On Oct. 23, 2018, a ticket purchased in South Carolina won $1.537 billion, the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. Its winner has yet to be determined.
Is it possible for a winner to remain anonymous?
This includes sales, retailers, taxes payable, and other financial liabilities for each state that participates in Mega Millions. The legislation, including whether the winners’ identities must be made public, vary from state to state.
Lottery officials in Ohio say this includes determining if a winner has to pay child support. That person is being investigated “internally,” she claimed. “With all of our champions,” says the narrator.
Ohio is one of at least seven states that allows winners to conceal their names if they are concerned about fraud or becoming a victim of crime. Delaware, Maryland, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Carolina are among the other states mentioned. Whether or not winners can be identified or collect in the name of a trust varies by state, according to her.
Winners of $1 million or more in Texas are allowed to stay anonymous in the state. Anonymity is permitted for winners of $100,000 or more, but the city and county in which they reside are not. The winners’ names are public record in California. Multistate lotteries like Mega Millions and Powerball cannot be held in a trust in some jurisdictions, including Michigan.
All lottery winners aren’t compelled by law to appear in public with a wide smile and a bogus lottery check in hand. The winner’s name and city are made public upon request in accordance with Wisconsin’s open records law. The winner is responsible for providing any additional information, including interviews with the media.
What should you do with the money?
You’ve just scooped up the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. What’s next?
Even if you win, it’s a good idea to seek the assistance of a professional financial or legal advisor, as well as a good accountant or lawyer. First, do your homework.
Advice from a tax professional is essential. The $747.2 million lump payment option is available to Friday’s winner, or he or she can choose to receive $1.28 billion over 30 years in annual installments. The federal government will deduct 24 percent, and you may be responsible for additional state taxes. It doesn’t matter which option you choose, you’ll be taxed at 37 percent, which is expected to climb in the near future according to Kiplinger.
Ask for references, check their license status, and learn about their professional histories before selecting a fiduciary or other financial advisors, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They’re all over the internet.
If you’re a lottery winner, the FTC urges you to look for a lawyer who specializes in a relevant area, such as tax, trusts, or estates. Before hiring a lawyer, be sure to verify with your state and local bar associations, according to this advice.
In 2019, a South Carolina lottery winner hired Jason Kurland, a self-described “lottery lawyer” who promoted himself as such. An NY jury convicted him guilty of defrauding lottery winners of more than $100 million, according to authorities.
Remember that long-lost relatives and college roommates may show up at your door or appear on your social media mentions, so be prepared.
According to a post on the Virginia Lottery’s Facebook page, a man who claimed to have won $1 billion in the Mega Millions lottery already knew all of his cousins.
On this day, share these encouraging words with as many people as possible, as the state lottery advised.