In the US state of Maine, the mega jackpot of $ 1.35 billion fell on Friday the 13th. The winner has thus become a multimillionaire in one fell swoop . The prize is so gigantic because the jackpot had not been hit for months.
The resident from Maine had chosen exactly the right numbers: 30, 43, 45, 46, 61, and the golden mega ball 14. The chance that a participant chooses exactly the right numbers is only 1 in 302.6 million. The chance of being struck by lightning is about 20,000 higher. A rare good choice by the man.
In addition to the mega jackpot, 14 others won a $1 million prize. The next big draw could yield a $20 million jackpot.
The winner can choose how he wants to receive his prize: either he has the amount paid out annually, or he receives it in one go. If the lucky person chooses to have it paid out annually, he will receive the entire amount over a period of 29 years. That equates to $46.5 million per year.
However, if the man chooses to receive it all at once, he will only receive $724.6 million. Most winners choose this option.
However, the bizarrely high prize is not the highest jackpot ever. It is the second highest prize of Mega Millions, one of the largest jackpot games in the US. The highest prize in this game was $1.53 billion and fell in 2018.
The biggest jackpot that has ever fallen from all lotteries together is even higher. At the end of last year, a man in the American region of Los Angeles won the Powerball lottery. His prize was a record $2.04 billion jackpot.
Catch up on more stories here
Follow us on Facebook here
