Lucky lottery player clinches $1.13 Billion, marking the fifth biggest mega millions win
On Tuesday night, a Mega Millions player from New Jersey secured the first jackpot-winning ticket in 2024, valued at $1.13 billion. This ended a streak of 31 drawings without a winner.
11:52 AM EDT, March 27, 2024
The fifth-largest award in the history
The $1.13 billion jackpot ranks as the fifth-largest award in the lottery's history. The winner can choose between receiving the $1.13 billion through yearly installments or opting for a one-time cash payout estimated at $537.5 million.
The chances of winning the Mega Millions are incredibly slim, at 1 in 302,575,350.
According to the New York Post, the most recent instance of a Mega Millions jackpot-winning ticket being sold in New Jersey occurred on July 24, 2020. An unidentified individual bought the winning ticket, worth $123 million, in Bayonne, NJ, as stated on the lottery's official site. New Jersey is unique because it permits winners to keep their identities hidden, a policy not shared by some states such as New York and California. Winners in New Jersey also have up to one year from the draw date to claim their prizes.
Before the $1.13 billion jackpot, Richard Wahl from Vernon, the biggest Mega Millions win recorded in New Jersey, won a $533 million prize on March 30, 2018.
Source: New York Post
