Trendpills
A single lottery ticket sold in Georgia has secured the staggering $980 million Mega Millions jackpot following the drawing on Friday, November 14. The win ends a 40-drawing streak without a top prize winner, a run that had captivated hopefuls across the nation. The winning numbers were 1, 8, 11, 12, and 57, with the gold Mega Ball being 7.
The prize is the eighth-largest in the history of the Mega Millions game and stands as the largest lottery win ever recorded in the state of Georgia. While the winner has not yet come forward, they will face a choice between receiving the full $980 million prize as an annuity spread over 30 years or opting for a one-time cash payout. Most winners choose the lump sum, which for this jackpot is estimated to be $471 million before taxes.
Lottery officials have confirmed the winning ticket was purchased in Georgia, though the specific retail location has not been widely disclosed by all sources. As Georgia is one of the states that allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, the public may never know the identity of the new multimillionaire. The winner has a set period, typically 180 days from the drawing date, to claim their prize.
The massive jackpot is the second billion-dollar prize awarded by Mega Millions in recent years, highlighting the growing size of top lottery payouts. While only one ticket matched all six numbers for the grand prize, Friday’s drawing produced other substantial wins. According to lottery officials, five tickets sold in other states matched the five white balls, earning them the second-tier prize of $1 million each. Following this major win, the Mega Millions jackpot has now reset to its starting value of $20 million for the next drawing.
