"After 31 drawings without a winner, one lucky Florida ticket holder will celebrate the summer of 2023 with a record-breaking MEGA jackpot of an estimated $1.58 billion," the Mega Millions lottery company announced on August 8.

The winning numbers drawn on August 8 were 13, 19, 20, 32 and 33, and the Golden Ball was 14. Mega Millions said the estimated prize was $1.58 billion. If confirmed as the official prize, it would be the largest in Mega Millions history, surpassing the $1.537 billion prize in 2018.

It would also be the third-largest jackpot in US lottery history, behind the $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in 2016 and $2.04 billion in 2022.

The ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida. The identity of the winner is unknown. The winner can choose to receive the $783 million in a lump sum or receive the entire prize in annuities over 30 years, with the value increasing by 5% each year. Most winners choose the lump sum.

According to Forbes , if the winner chooses the lump sum option, they will have to pay a mandatory 24% federal tax, making the actual amount $595.3 million. Depending on the winner's income, the federal tax rate could also be as high as 37%, reducing the winnings to $493.5 million.

With the 30-year option, the average monthly payout would be $33.1 million if the federal tax rate is 37%. Florida winners do not need to pay state taxes.

In addition to the jackpot winner, two people in Florida and North Carolina each won $2 million, and five others won $1 million each in the August 8 drawing.

Mega Millions tickets sell for $2 in 45 states, Washington, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The next Mega Millions drawing is on August 11, with the jackpot set back at $20 million. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 303 million, much lower than the 1 in 1 million chance of being struck by lightning.

Hong Hanh (According to AFP )