Florida Mega Millions Winner: The wait is over, and the record-breaking $1.602 billion Mega Millions jackpot sold at a Florida Publix on August 8th has finally found its rightful owner. The ticket holder has officially come forward to claim their historic prize, according to the Florida Lottery.
This eye-popping jackpot smashed the previous record of $1.537 billion, which was won by a lucky ticket holder in South Carolina on October 23, 2018. Interestingly, back in 2018, Florida celebrated its fourth Mega Millions jackpot winner, only to be surprised by a fifth winning ticket worth $36 million sold just one week later.
The winning numbers for this historic drawing were 13, 19, 20, 32, and 33, with a Mega Ball of 14. The lucky winner also utilized the Megaplier option, which was set at 2X.
However, there’s a twist to this tale. The identity of the winner remains shrouded in mystery due to a peculiar Florida law. According to the Florida Lottery, the winner of the colossal $1.602 billion jackpot is listed as “EXEMPT PURSUANT TO F.S. 24.1051.” In 2022, Florida lawmakers added a provision that keeps the name of a winner of a prize valued at $250,000 or more confidential. The winner’s identity is protected under state law, but there’s an expiration date on this secrecy. After 90 days, which brings us to December 25, 2023, the Florida Lottery can legally disclose the name of the jackpot winner.
While the winner’s identity remains under wraps, we do know that they opted for the cash option, which amounts to a staggering $783,300,000. Additionally, the Publix retailer that sold the winning ticket will receive a generous $100,000 bonus commission for their part in making someone an instant billionaire.
This remarkable win leaves just one outstanding record-setting lottery prize for the year: a $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot won in California back in July. As of September 26, 2023, the California Lottery has yet to confirm the winner. In California, winners of such substantial payouts have a full year from the drawing date to come forward and claim their prize. Unlike Florida, California law mandates the public disclosure of the full name of the jackpot winner, so it’s only a matter of time before the world learns who is taking home the $1.08 billion.
Meanwhile, the excitement continues to build as another record-setting Powerball jackpot, currently at $835 million, awaits its future millionaire.