DETROIT (AP) – A four-member lottery club in a Detroit suburb won a Mega Millions jackpot of $ 1.05 billion and will receive $ 557 million after tax, officials said Friday.
The winners claimed their prize weeks after the January 22 draw and chose the option for an immediate lump sum. After taxes, the $ 776 million payment was cut to about $ 557 million, the Michigan Lottery said.
The names of the four Oakland County club members have not been disclosed. The Wolverine FLL Club had the only winning ticket.
“This kind of money will impact the families of our club members for generations. We intend to remain humble and pay it out through donations in southeast Michigan, ”said attorney Kurt Panouses on behalf of the winners.
The $ 1.05 billion jackpot was the largest in Michigan Lottery history and the third largest in the United States. Mega Millions is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.
The winning ticket was bought almost as an afterthought from a Kroger supermarket in the Detroit suburb of Novi.
“One club member saw a sign that the jackpot was $ 1 billion and remembered that they hadn’t bought their tickets yet, so they moved into the Kroger,” Panouses said. “When you play, you dream of winning, of course, but the reality of it is unbelievable.”
Kroger said it would donate its $ 50,000 commission to the Michigan Food Bank Board.
Immediately after the draw, there was a lot of public speculation that a group of Novi teachers had won. David Ascher, principal of Novi Woods Elementary School, shot down the rumors.
“Everyone came to work today, which was very good,” said Escher two days after the drawing. “I bought them all donuts today, which also seemed to help.”
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