Mega Millions At $100 Million, As Is Insane Shedeur Sanders Lawsuit

Welp, we’re not sure how long this will continue at this pace, but we here at Lottery Geeks sure do like the new Mega Millions.

Yes, the $5 ticket price is a wee bit steep, but the way jackpots are growing is nothing short of … delightful. They have been going up by $10 million, even, each time.

You may ask: Are we a bit OCD over here? The answer is “probably,” but seeing that jackpot tick up in such a delightfully orderly fashion is just making us giddy.

As such, Friday’s jackpot is worth an estimated — and delightful — $100 million, though the cash option is a decidedly less delightful $45.3 million.

By the way, you know what else is $100 million? A lawsuit filed by “John Doe” in Georgia federal court. The man is seeking $100 million and claiming emotional distress over Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round in the NFL Draft. 

Really.

The lawsuit alleges NFL teams colluded against Sanders and claims violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and Civil Rights Act, suggesting that racial discrimination influenced the drafting process. The plaintiff — who objected to reports that Sanders “tanked interviews,” “wasn’t prepared,” and “was too cocky” — is also seeking a formal acknowledgment of emotional distress, retraction of “slanderous statements,” an apology, and implementation of fairer drafting practices.

For the first time in recorded history, we at Lottery Geeks have been rendered speechless. That’s not delightful.

At any rate, nobody won Tuesday night’s $90 million prize, with the numbers coming in at 16, 17, 43, 46, 58, and a gold Mega Ball of 16.

There was also the sum total of zero — also a pleasing number, if we’re being honest — ticket-buyers who matched all five white balls.

Lottery Geeks estimates 4.5 million tickets were sold for the drawing.

Powerball jackpot not too far behind

Friday night’s Powerball jackpot is up to $82 million after nobody took home the top prize Wednesday night.

The numbers for Wednesday’s drawing were 14,15, 30, 40, 59, and a red Powerball of 20. 

Much like with Mega Millions, there were no Match 5 winners.

Lottery Geeks estimates 7.1 million tickets were sold for Wednesday’s drawing.

Powerball tickets cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option — which impacts any prize won except the jackpot — for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.

Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California
10. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $571.9 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California