DETROIT (AP) – Someone in Michigan bought the winning ticket to the $ 1 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the third largest lottery prize in US history.
The winning numbers for Friday night’s draw were 4, 26, 42, 50 and 60, with a Mega Ball of 24. The winning ticket was purchased at a Kroger store in the Detroit suburb of Novi, the Michigan Lottery said.
“Someone in Michigan woke up this morning to life-changing news, and Kroger Michigan congratulates Michigan’s newest multi-millionaire,” said Rachel Hurst, a regional spokeswoman for the grocery chain. She declined to comment further.
The Mega Millions top prize has been growing since September 15, when a winning ticket was sold in Wisconsin. The next estimated jackpot of the lottery is $ 20 million.
Friday night’s draw came just two days after a Maryland-sold ticket matched all six numbers drawn and won a $ 731.1 million Powerball jackpot.
Only two lottery prizes in the US exceeded Friday’s jackpot. Three tickets to a $ 1.586 billion Powerball jackpot were sold in January 2016 and one winning ticket was sold in October 2018 for a Mega Millions jackpot of $ 1.537 billion.
The jackpot numbers refer to amounts when a winner chooses an annuity, paid out in 30 annual installments. Most winners will choose a cash prize, which for the Mega Millions estimated jackpot would be $ 739.6 million before tax.
In Grosse Ile, a suburb south of Detroit, 126 people bought over 600 tickets for Friday’s draw, but didn’t hit the jackpot. They hoped to raise enough money to replace a government-owned bridge on their Detroit River island, which has been closed indefinitely for major repairs. The only other transport option for the island’s 10,000 residents is a private toll bridge.
“We used this to cheer us up and to dream a bit,” said organizer Kyle de Beausset. “Of course we are open to any help with the bridge, but I cannot imagine the winner would want to finance it.”
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot were unbelievably high, with one in 302.5 million.
The game is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands.