- Mega Millions
- Winners
Mega Millions Winners, Where are they now
Ever since Mega Millions rebranded in 2010, there have been some incredible jackpots won by players from across the U.S. Below are the top 10 Mega Millions winners of all time.
| Amount | Cash or Annuity? | Date | Winner Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.537 billion | Took the cash option of $877.7 million | October 23rd 2018 | After 25 consecutive rollovers, this prize was won by one player from South Carolina, making it both the biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever offered and the biggest lottery jackpot ever won by a single ticket holder anywhere in the world. The player did not come forward until March 2019 and opted to stay anonymous. |
| $656 million | The Illinois and Maryland winners chose annuity payments totalling $218.6 million, the Kansas winner took a $157 million cash lump sum. | March 30th 2012 | Three winning tickets shared a top prize worth a whopping $656 million on March 30th 2012. The prize was split between Merle and Patricia Butler of Red Bud, Illinois, "the Three Amigos" – a group of three education workers in Maryland – and an anonymous ticket holder from Kansas. |
| $648 million | Took the cash option of $347.6 million | December 17th 2013 | Two winners, Georgia grandmother Ira Curry and California delivery driver Steve Tran, shared this impressive $648 million jackpot prize. |
| $543 million | Not publicized | July 24th 2018 | A new record was set for the largest jackpot claimed by a single ticket when a pool of 11 office workers from Santa Clara County in California decided ‘on the spur of the moment’ to spend $2 each on tickets. The lucky winners later insisted they had no plans to give up work just yet. |
| $536 million | Took the cash option of $378.3 million | July 8th 2016 | A family from Indiana claimed $536 million on July 8th 2016. They chose to remain anonymous, in accordance with Indiana laws, and received their prize under the name Warren D LLC. The jackpot was the largest claimed on a single ticket at the time. |
| $533 million | Took the cash option of $324.6 million | March 30th 2018 | Richard Wahl from Vernon became the biggest winner in New Jersey lottery history when he grabbed this sensational jackpot. He said he was part of a ‘humble family’ and wanted to use some of the money for charity work and to rebuild a 1964 Corvette. |
| $451 million | Took the cash option of $281.2 million | January 5th 2018 | 20-year old Shane Missler from Florida became the second biggest single winner of all time when one of the five QuickPicks he purchased for January 5th 2018 matched all six winning numbers. |
| $437 million | Took the cash option of $262.2 million | January 1st 2019 | A group of 23 co-workers from Long Island, New York snapped up this New Year’s Day jackpot. The ticket was bought at the Brookville Auto Service Shop in Glen Head, and the prize was claimed through the New Life 2019, LLC. |
| $414 million | Shared the cash option of $230.9 million | March 18th 2014 | Another large jackpot split between two lucky winners was won on March 18th 2014, the Cobie & Seamus Trust from Florida and an anonymous player from Maryland took home the cash. |
| $393 million | Took the cash option of $246 million | August 11th 2017 | Patricia Busking, a care worker from Illinois, claimed a huge jackpot the same week that a record $758.7 million Powerball was also won. |
Exciting Mega Millions Winner stories
Gloria Swanigan - Winner of EUR 0.9 million
Rick Knudsen - Jackpot winner of EUR 150 million
Shane Missler - Won $ 3.8 billion at Mega Millions
Gloria Swanigan - Winner of EUR 0.9 million
Gloria Swanigan did not expect to win at Mega Millions when she heard a voice on her phone. The voice told her that she had managed to match five of six numbers on March 10. Every now and then she thought the call was a joke, which made her go on the internet to confirm the correct numbers. That's when she realized she had matched them. She had worked as a dock worker in Long Beach for 33 years. When she realized that her lot was right she screamed for joy - the rest is history ..
Rick Knudsen - Jackpot winner of EUR 150 million
The now retired Rick Knudsen, manager at RWC Building Products in Calimesa, felt strange, the day before and on August 22. During those days he felt extra happy. The decision he made to buy five tickets via the Mega Millions quick selection resulted in a remarkable coincidence and made a fantastic story. The day before he bought the winning ticket, he foresaw that he might win a fortune. Given that Rick was a "figure nerd", he decided to buy a ticket. On the way home he stopped and bought a Mega Millions lot for EUR 8.5. The next morning, he got a call from his sister who said that someone from Calimesa had won the jackpot at Mega Millions and asked him if he had bought any ticket. To his surprise, he realized that it was he who won the big jackpot.
Shane Missler - Won $ 3.8 billion at Mega Millions
20-year-old Shane Missler from Florida won $ 3.8 billion on Mega Millions but decided to get a lump sum so the jackpot landed on $ 2.3 billion. Shane Missler hoped to be able to help his family members with his fortune and follow his dreams. The winning lot was purchased at a Seven Eleven store in Port Richey and received a bonus of approximately EUR 800,000. Shane was spotted at the Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee when he handed in his ticket. Missler was reported by The Tampa Bay Times as happy and positive. When he squeezed a yellow envelope again and handed it in. The local officials stated that the money will be handed over to a trust, set up under Missler's name, called Secret 007 LLC and Shane will be the CEO.