On Friday night, the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot in history was won in a drawing conducted by the National Lottery Corporation. This week’s winning numbers were: 67; 45; 57; 36; and 13; with a “Mega Ball” of 14.
Even if winning tickets were sold, it’s still unknown if they were sold. As soon as the winning numbers were released, the Mega Millions website went down.
According to a press statement from the lottery, the estimated value of the Mega Millions jackpot was $1.28 billion as of Friday night’s drawing. Before taxes, a winner would receive $747.2 million in cash if they chose to take the lump sum.
Officials estimate the jackpot to rise to $1.7 billion if no one wins Friday’s drawing, according to the Associated Press. That would be the biggest Mega Millions prize ever won.. ever.
Mega Millions held its last draw Tuesday. Mega Millions announced that nine tickets have won at least $1 million even though no one took home the top prize. The CEO of Raising Cane’s said ahead of the drawing that he had purchased 50,000 Mega Millions tickets and promised to split the prize with his employees if he won. Todd Graves, the CEO, said he had purchased additional tickets in advance of the drawing on Friday night.
The record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot of $1.537 billion was won in 2018 by a ticket sold in South Carolina. In 2021, the next-largest Mega Millions jackpot was worth $1,05 billion.
A Powerball drawing in 2016 with a $1.586 billion jackpot, with winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee, ranks as the third-largest U.S. lottery payout in the history of the lottery.
There are 303 million ways to win the jackpot, and 24 ways to win a prize, according to Mega Millions.