Lucky American wins US$1.3 billion in lottery, identity still unknown

One lucky American bought the winning lottery ticket at a convenience store outside Chicago in a draw on Friday and landed a US$1.3 billion jackpot. The lucky winner hasn’t been identified yet but, whoever it is, they have scooped the third biggest lottery jackpot in US history.

The winning numbers were 13, 36, 45, 57, and 67, plus the mega ball 14. The winner has the choice of a lump-sum payment of US$780.5 million or an annual payout over 30 years. Most winners pick the lump-sum payment, which comes with a big tax bill, according to the Mega Millions website.

Illinois is one of the American states where winners of more than $250,000 can choose to not reveal their names. Illinois spokeswoman Emilia Mazur said the vast majority of these winners keep their names private. Since winners have the option of staying on the down low, even lottery officials may not know for a while who won.

One managing director at Wells Fargo’s Wealth & Investment Management, Emily Irwin, advises the winner to keep their low profile. She said they should keep their win a secret to avoid requests for money. Irwin also said…

“There are scammers and others who follow big winners… Privacy equals safety.”

The winner does, however, need to sign their ticket immediately. If the winner loses an unsigned ticket and another person finds it and signs it, the ticket now belongs to them.

SOURCE: Reuters | Associated Press