Mega Millions Jackpot Winner Claims $1.13 Billion Prize After Nine-Month Mystery

A winner has finally stepped forward to claim the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot that remained unclaimed for nearly nine months, according to the New Jersey Lottery. The jackpot, drawn on March 26, was the first Mega Millions win of the year and stands as the fifth largest in the game’s history and eighth-largest U.S. draw lottery jackpot ever.

The appearance of the claimant concludes months of speculation and anticipation among lottery enthusiasts, who were eager to see if the record-breaking prize would ever be spoken for.

The winning ticket was purchased at a store in Neptune Township. The ticket holder, who has chosen to remain anonymous, opted for the lump-sum cash option of $537.5 million before taxes.

The winning numbers emerged after 31 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. This prolonged run without a top prize fueled even more purchases nationwide, driving ticket sales and raising significant funds for the states participating in the Mega Millions lottery.

Officials from the Mega Millions Consortium celebrated the win, highlighting its broader impact. While the jackpot undoubtedly changed the life of the winner, it also generated substantial revenue for good causes in states across the country.

Gretchen Corbin, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement in March about the Mega Millions win, “Congratulations to the New Jersey Lottery for selling a jackpot-winning ticket in Tuesday’s $1.128 billion Mega Millions drawing. We celebrate our new jackpot winner, as well as all the prizes won and dollars raised for good causes during this exciting jackpot run.”

The prolonged jackpot run proved beneficial not only for individual players but also for community-focused initiatives supported by lottery proceeds.

Waste not, want not

The New Jersey Lottery emphasized the importance of unclaimed prize funds, which are typically allocated to state programs if a winner does not come forward. In New Jersey, these funds are directed to the state’s retirement system, benefiting public servants, including teachers, police officers, and firefighters.

Had the $1.13 billion prize gone unclaimed after a full year, the money would have been redistributed to the states that contributed to the prize pool. Each state uses unclaimed lottery funds differently, often reinvesting them into public programs, educational initiatives, or community development projects.

With the March jackpot finally claimed, attention has shifted to the current Mega Millions jackpot, which has reached an estimated $970 million ahead of the Tuesday night drawing. If a lucky player matches all six numbers in this drawing, it will become the seventh-largest jackpot won in the game’s history and the second time a jackpot has been won on Christmas Eve.

The first occurred in New York, where a $68 million prize was hit on the holiday in 2002 — though nobody ever stepped up and claimed that prize

Here are the top five Mega Millions jackpots ever won:

• March 26, 2024: New Jersey, $1.128 billion
• July 29, 2022: Illinois, $1.337 billion
• January 13, 2023: Maine, $1.348 billion
• October 23, 2018: South Carolina, $1.537 billion
• August 8, 2023: Florida: $1.602 billion