One lucky winner is more than a billion dollars richer after all six of their number’s matched the balls draw in Friday night’s Mega Million lottery.
A ticket bought at a gas station outside Chicago, Illinois, was the lone winner of the prize valued at $1.377 billion.
Despite the big prize being won elsewhere, several locals took home big prizes in the drawing.
Mega Millions: Winning ticket for $1.337B jackpot sold in Illinois
Two tickets bought in North Carolina matched all five numbers to win $1 million. One winner picked up their ticket at an Adam’s Mart in south Charlotte, the other at a Shop N Save in Mooresville.
Fourteen other people across the state matched four numbers and the Mega Ball, including two who added the $1 Megaplier feature to double the $10,000 prize.
One winning $20,000 ticket was bought at a Quality Mart in Statesville and the second was purchased in Beaufort County.
A ticket from a Circle K in Mineral Springs was the only local winner of the dozen that will take home $10,000.
Friday’s jackpot was the second largest in the history of the Mega Millions and the third largest in U.S. history, officials said.
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“This huge Mega Millions jackpot created a lot of fun,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “Every ticket sold in North Carolina helped to raise more money for education this year.”
North Carolina lottery officials told Channel 9 on Thursday that ticket sales were averaging about $1 million per day.
Channel 9 spoke with customers at Perry’s Market in Mint Hill on Thursday who dreamed about what they’d do if they won.
“Definitely on a beach, definitely somewhere on the islands,” Zamari Ray said. “I’ll give some money to my family, but then I’m going to disappear.”
“Oh lord, I don’t know,” another customer said. “I know I could do a lot of good with it though.”
The lucky winner from Illinois can claim their prize in regular installments or take a lump sum worth $780.5 million.
>>VOTE HERE: If you won the Mega Millions jackpot, would you take a lump sum or multiple payments?
Some advisors say the annuity is the smart way to go,
“In the past, most advisors said, just take the lump sum,” tax attorney and CPA, Kurt Panouses said. “We can always outperform the market.”
The odds of winning the jackpot were about one in 302 million, and if you bought several tickets, officials say the chances of winning hardly improved.
The lucky few winners have 180 days to claim their prize.
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