A $1.5 Trillion Lottery Winner Emerges in the US... Who Beat the 1 in 300 Million Odds?

Winner's Identity Still Unrevealed
8th Largest Prize in US Lottery History

In the United States, a jackpot winner of over 1.5 trillion won has emerged from 'Mega Millions,' considered one of the two major lotteries alongside 'Powerball.'

On the 26th (local time), the AP News reported that the Mega Millions drawing held that night produced the fifth-largest jackpot in history, amounting to $1.13 billion (approximately 1.532 trillion won). The winning numbers were 7, 11, 22, 29, and 38, with the Powerball number 4, and there was one first-place winner. The lucky winner is known to have purchased the ticket in New Jersey. However, the exact identity has not yet been revealed.

Mega Millions Lottery. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Mega Millions jackpot grew this large because there had been no first-place winner in 30 consecutive drawings since December 8 of last year. To win the first prize in Mega Millions, players must match five numbers between 1 and 70 and one number between 1 and 25. The theoretical odds of winning the first prize are 1 in 302.6 million, which is even more difficult than Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with drawings held twice a week. The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was $2.04 billion (approximately 2.7497 trillion won), won in the Powerball lottery in November 2022.

This Mega Millions jackpot is the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history and the eighth-largest in U.S. lottery history. The highest Mega Millions jackpot ever was $1.6 billion (approximately 2.1556 trillion won), won last year in Florida.

Mega Millions winners can choose to receive the entire jackpot paid out over 29 years like an annuity or take a lump sum cash payment of half the amount. Powerball’s jackpot has also increased to $865 million (approximately 1.1667 trillion won) this year due to no winners so far.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.