$1.58 billion Mega Millions winner who bought ticket at Neptune Beach Publix comes forward
Someone has stepped forward to claim the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. The winning ticket, worth $1.6 billion, was sold at the Publix grocery store next to Aqua East surf shop in Neptune Beach.
The lucky winner is truly lucky. If they had bought their ticket just about 250 feet away at the new Publix next door to the one where the winning ticket was purchased, their Wednesday morning would be $1.58 billion less exciting.
The Publix where the winning ticket was purchased, just a four minute walk from popular local surf shop Aqua East, is the oldest Publix of the two.
The winner has 90 days to remain anonymous. That 90 days began on September 25, when the prize was claimed, according to The Associated Press.
Here's more to know about Mega Millions grand prizes:
Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?
According to Florida Lottery's website, winners cannot remain anonymous: "Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner's name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information."
However, the site states, since May 25, 2022, the "names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner."
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
How many rollovers, how long did it take Mega Millions to reach $1.58 billion?
It took three months of rollovers. Below is a snapshot of recent drawings and how much the Mega Millions jackpot has climbed (in so short a time).
The lottery frenzy seemed to gain steam around July 4th, when that drawing rolled over, it climbed $50 million overnight. Over the next few weeks, increments of $50 million to $60 million turned to $80 million and $100 million overnight. On June 30, the Mega Millions jackpot was $368 million. As of July 25, less than a month, the jackpot had grown by $452 million.
After the July 28 Mega Millions drawing rolled over, the new jackpot − which was Tuesday, Aug. 1 − was $1.10 billion less than two hours after the drawing.
On Aug. 8, a single ticket sold at a Publix in Neptune matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win the $1.58 prize.
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Tuesday, Aug. 8: $1.58 billion
Friday, Aug. 4: $1.35 billion
Tuesday, Aug. 1: $1.10 billion
Friday, July 28: $940 million
Tuesday, July 25: $820 million
Tuesday, July 18: $640 million
Friday, July 14: $560 million
Tuesday, July 11: $500 million
Friday, July 7: $450 million
Tuesday, July 4: $400 million
Friday, June 30: $368 million
Tuesday, June 27: $343 million
Friday, June 23: $320 million
Tuesday, June 20: $300 million
Friday, June 16: $281 million
Tuesday, June 13: $260 million
Friday, June 9: $240 million
Tuesday, June 6: $218 million
Friday, June 2: $203 million
Tuesday, May 30: $187 million
Friday, May 26: $169 million
Tuesday, May 23: $150 million
Friday, May 19: $132 million
Tuesday, May 16: $113 million
Friday, May 12: $99 million
Tuesday, May 9: $83 million
Friday, May 5: $68 million
Tuesday, May 2: $52 million
Friday, April 28: $38 million
Tuesday, April 25: $26 million
Friday, April 21: $20 million
I bought a Mega Millions ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?
No. Mega Millions prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.
When do Florida lottery tickets expire?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Florida Lottery says its scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes "must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire."
What happens to the unclaimed prize money?
According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.
What happens to unclaimed Mega Millions prize money?
Should a Mega Millions ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, "the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series."
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
According to the Mega Millions website, you have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball. Prizes range from $2 (for matching the Mega Ball) to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
What are the Top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever?
According to its website, here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots as of Sept. 26, 2023:
10. $536 million — July 8, 2016; Indiana
9. $543 million — July 24, 2018; California
8. $648 million — Dec. 17, 2013; California and Georgia
7. $656 million — March 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
6. $1.05 billion — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
5. $1.08 billion — July 19, 2023; California
4. $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022; Illinois
3. $1.35 billion — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
2. $1.537 billion — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Who claimed $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot from Florida Publix?
