After a nail-biting four months, an individual from Florida has finally broken the lottery curse by winning the colossal $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix grocery store in Neptune Beach, marking a historic victory for the Sunshine State.
The winning numbers that forever altered the life of this fortunate individual were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33, and the yellow ball was 14 – a combination that will forever be etched in their memory.
Leading up to this monumental win, 31 consecutive drawings had failed to produce a jackpot winner since April 18th. This lengthy drought allowed the prize to grow astonishingly large, taking its place as the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
The astronomical odds of one in 302.6 million make Mega Millions jackpots highly elusive, which explains why they are such rare occurrences.
Should the winner choose the annuity option, the $1.58 billion prize will be distributed over thirty years. However, most winners typically opt for the lump sum option, and for this jackpot, it is estimated at an astonishing $783.3 million.
It is important to note that the prize money is subject to federal taxes. Additionally, many states apply their own taxes to lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is a widely popular game played in 45 states across the United States, as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Also read: You just won the Mega Millions jackpot — what should you do next?
