Current:Home > News$1.58 billion Mega Millions winner in Florida revealed-InfoLens
$1.58 billion Mega Millions winner in Florida revealed
View Date:2024-12-23 11:15:29
The winner of the $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot purchased from a Florida grocery store has been revealed.
According to the Florida Lottery, Saltines Holdings LLC from Miami claimed the billion-dollar prize after its ticket from a Publix in Neptune Beach, near Jacksonville, matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. The $1.58 billion jackpot is the largest in the history of the game and the fourth biggest lottery prize in U.S. history.
On Sept. 25, the winner claimed the prize, but at the time, it was not known whether it was a one-time lump sum or annual payments. Per Florida Lottery rules, the winner had a limited time to claim prizes this large in person at lottery headquarters.
How long do you have to claim a Florida Lottery prize?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing, or else the ticket expires. This differs from other states − in California, winners have up to a year from the date of the drawing to claim a lottery jackpot, whether it's the cash option or annual payments. In Florida, to claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Can a lottery winner remain anonymous in Florida?
The $1.58 billion Mega Millions winner also had a limited time to remain anonymous in Florida. Per Florida Lottery rules, it is public record to know the identities of winners, though lottery lawyers and experts have said there are ways to remain anonymous.
One such way is by not signing your name on the back of the ticket and forming a trust or corporation, such as the Saltines Holdings LLC. But other states, like California, where it also is public record to know the identities of lottery winners, have different rules: "The California Lottery regulations do not allow for trusts to collect California Lottery prizes. Only the owner of the ticket can claim a prize," a California Lottery spokesperson said in an email to USA TODAY.
The Neptune Beach Publix received a $100,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
veryGood! (62539)
Related
- Texas now tops in SEC? Miami in trouble? Five overreactions to college football Week 11
- Florida ‘whistleblower’ says he was fired for leaking plans to build golf courses in state parks
- US Open: Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will meet in an all-American semifinal in New York
- Florida State drops out of AP Top 25 after 0-2 start. Texas up to No. 3 behind Georgia, Ohio State
- At age 44, Rich Hill's baseball odyssey continues - now with Team USA
- Break in the weather helps contain a wildfire near South Dakota’s second-biggest city
- Florida doctor found liable for botching baby's circumcision tied to 6 patient deaths
- Guns flood the nation's capital. Maryland, D.C. attorneys general point at top sellers.
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- Shooting of San Francisco 49ers rookie renews attention on crime in city as mayor seeks reelection
Ranking
- 2025 NFL Draft order: Updated first round picks after Week 10 games
- Obsessed With Hoop Earrings? Every Set in This Story Is Under $50
- How to watch Hulu's 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives': Cast, premiere, where to stream
- Man arrested at Trump rally in Pennsylvania wanted to hang a protest banner, police say
- GreenBox Systems will spend $144 million to build an automated warehouse in Georgia
- A US Navy sailor is detained in Venezuela, Pentagon says
- Target brings back its popular car seat-trade in program for fall: Key dates for discount
- Katy Perry Rewards Orlando Bloom With This Sex Act After He Does the Dishes
Recommendation
-
Inside Dream Kardashian's Sporty 8th Birthday Party
-
Khloe Kardashian Shares Sweet Insight Into Son Tatum’s Bond With Saint West
-
Harris and Walz talk Cabinet hires and a viral DNC moment in CNN interview | The Excerpt
-
Deion Sanders takes show to Nebraska: `Whether you like it or not, you want to see it'
-
This is Your Sign To Share this Luxury Gift Guide With Your Partner *Hint* *Hint
-
Man sentenced to over 1 year in prison for thousands of harassing calls to congressional offices
-
Caitlin Clark returns to action: How to watch Fever vs. Sparks on Wednesday
-
School bus hits and kills Kentucky high school student