So far, it seems 2021 is on track to be a DJ Khaled mixtape remix of 2020. But, there is at least one lucky person who already has something to smile about this year.
A very fortunate Michiganlottery player hit it big on Friday night when they won the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot, organizers tellNBC News. The ticket contained all six winning numbers—4, 26, 42, 50, 60, and 24—which was necessary to win the prize. The odds of doing this was 1 in 302,575,350. The winner has yet to be identified, but they can now choose between long-term payments or a $739.6 million lump-sum payout before taxes.
The Mega Millions jackpot has been climbing in value since it was set to $20 million in September. According to Mega Millions, that was the longest stretch with no winner in history creating the third-largest lottery jackpot since 2016. The largest single jackpot winner won $1.537 billion in late 2018 while the largest payout was $1.586 billion which went to three people from Tennessee, Florida, and California.
The pandemic has impacted everything including the Mega Millions. Jackpot gains and payout have slowed down partly because fewer people have been playing because of quarantine. But, on Wednesday, a single ticket in Maryland hit all six numbers in the Powerball jackpot, a win that is worth $546.8 million.
