By Todd Northrop
TOPEKA, Kansas — The holder of one of three winning tickets in last week's record $656 million Mega Millions drawing came forward Friday to claim a share, Kansas Lottery officials announced Friday afternoon.
The winner — a single ticket holder — has chosen to remain anonymous, state lottery director Dennis Wilson said.
The announcement was made at an afternoon press conference at state lottery headquarters in Topeka.
Under Kansas law, lottery winners can choose not to publicly reveal their identities. The winner has retained legal counsel and financial advisers and "looks forward to retiring," Wilson said.
Kansas was one of three states where three tickets matched the winning numbers — 2, 4, 23, 38, and 46, with Mega Ball number 23 — amounting to an equal share of roughly $218.6 million, before taxes, under the annuity option. The Kansas lottery player purchased the winning ticket at a Casey's convenience store in Ottawa.
The winner has chosen to take a one-time lump-sum payment of about $157 million before taxes.
"It'll take a few days for us to transfer the money to their account. It was a single ticket holder — one person claimed the ticket," Wilson said.
"They were still just in awe that they had won it," Wilson said of the winner, who didn't know the ticket was a winner until Monday.
"They checked it over 10 times ... and still had a hard time believing it," Wilson said.
As for choosing to remain anonymous, Wilson said the winner obviously doesn't want the publicity. "We all have to understand that these kind of winners need time to digest. They were still in awe that they had won it," Wilson said.
"They're like all of us. They think about the possibility of winning but they never think that it would hapen to them — but it did. It proves real people really win — and you could be next.
Two other winning tickets were purchased in Maryland and Illinois.
The Kansas winner is the first to officially come forward, just a week after the winning numbers were picked.
Meanwhile, Maryland lottery officials have been responding to a flurry of questions from the media this week after a Baltimore-area woman told the New York Post that she had one of the winning tickets. However, in a bizarre twist of the story, Mirlande Wilson, a 37-year-old single mother of seven who works at McDonald's, told the Post on Friday that she isn't sure where she last had the ticket.
"I'm still looking for it. I haven't even looked in my uniform pants yet," the Post quoted Wilson as saying. "I'm still looking everywhere to find it, in my purse, everywhere."
The state's lottery director said Thursday he hasn't seen the ticket, but he also says no one else has come forward saying he has it.
Carole Everett, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Lottery, said Tuesday she doesn't "put much stock in that story."
"She claims she won," Everett said. "She can't produce a ticket. ... In our opinion, until they walk in that door, hold that ticket, produce valid identification and our security people can process and validate it, it doesn't matter."
If Wilson is determined to be a winner, a showdown could be brewing with her McDonald's co-workers. They are demanding a share because they say they pooled their money to buy several tickets. Wilson has said the ticket she bought was separate from that.
Thanks to B$Rizzle and hearsetrax for the tip.
Smart move. It is too many crazy people out here ready to take advantage of you and turn your life upside down.
Congratulations to the Kansas winner! May they find peace and happiness knowing that they can retire comfortably now.
"It proves real people really win."
Are you kidding me? Aren't we all real people playing the lottery?
They should let all lottery players to claim anonymously.
ditto,
I dont expect to see these folks on LCML either,
i think ppl. are getting smarter about this stuff,
at the same time i not worried about running out of idiots to entertain us.
Yes Thrifty it should, but once a state starts out w/ public disclosure, its going to be difficult to change that.
ps my ditto comment was at the 1st 2 posters.
What a great story........... with a wealthy "anonymous" ending.......... Wouldn't it be nice to go down the street with a grin on your face everyday for many years to come knowing that you have a little 100 million dollar secret ????
anonymous is lame. we should atleast see who won to proove that its real. on a side note, if you live in a small town where the winning ticket was purchased and you lived there for many years an suddenly your house is up for sale, the townspeople will know who the winner was.
If you want to retire with millions and have a quiet life.. Earn it. If you win out of pure luk it should be known publicly. If you can't handle the attention maybe don't play. Stick to your local smaller jackpot games.
Truth.
Yea, i normally have a smile for ppl. i meet up w/ so no one would suspect.....
ohh wait, at work ppl. would say...whats w/ you ? then i would have to.... oh ...nevermind i won't be there. LOL
look this is the town where the ticket was won. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa,_Kansas looks like the old west, thats how small this town is. i think it would be tough to really remain anonymous.
Thats where the ticket was purchased, didnt say the winner lived there correct ??.....Could have been someone passing through
The world's biggest lottery jackpot is won in two states where you can claim it anonymously and in one state that you can't.
Mega Millions is doing such a great job.
Is there evidence that letting the winner remain anon. has cost the lottery players ?
anon. could have the oppisite effect, if PA. was anon. maybe they would'nt be trying to "sell" their operation.
guessing you're in PA. if it changed to anon. would you quit playing ?
How about not playing the lottery since players are not treated fairly?
Can we say that Kansas lottery officials kept the money for themselves. Where is the real winner? I do not see any. Have you seen any?
The should have shown at least a picture of the winning ticket. I do not see any integrity in Kansas lottery.
HiFi, Minnesnowta,
I can think of plenty of reasons to stay anonymous and not one reason not to.
I think despite the reasons each of you gave for wanting to know who the winner was, you're don't have any valid reason to. A while back someone around here made a score on a Pick 5 and people just could not stand knowing who it was. The convenience store where the ticket was bought posted having sold a winner but wouldn't tell anyone who it was, so people hubng around for over a week trying to find out. Some people not only want to be the one with the info, they want to be the first one with he info.
I hope if either of you ever hit a jackpot you eill see why you should rethink this.
Want to make a list of reasons, pro and con? And picture yourself as having won thejackpot, not a spectator dying to know who won the jackpot.
The media should forget about that lady from Maryland and try to reveal the identity of the Kansas winner.
Yeah? You gonna stand outside their house and protect them from killer leprechauns?
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/229819
There is a way to resolve that Thrifty, ........Move to Kansas, go to work for the lottery commission as an accountant, move up into the admin position and look in the yearly books......Remaining anonymous is a smart move.........You don't get information, you don't get squat and THAT irritates the "Nosey Rosey's" of the world who believe they have a right to know anything about anyone whenever they want......Ain't freedom wonderful ????
Hifi, thanks for the link, but just the same in my travels around the country,
and living in different states i found that most ppl. mind their business,
thought that was especially true in towns like this one.
Time*treat, I guess is fair that most states require lottery players identity?
Some people will whine about anything & everything!
This is the way ALL Lotteries should be, Anonymous period....!!!
To many folks have to deal with other things involving winning the lottery when they have to disclose who they are.
Everyone should sign a petition to have the their States have these people remain anonymous...!
Seeing is Believing. I will never believe that Kansas lottery has a winner until I see a picture of the winner.
Hay..........I hope that the person who won doesn't live within 250 miles of that town !!!!....really P*ss the "WaanaKnowYourBiz" folks right off !!! Or better yet, is a visitor from Germany !!!!
Some people should mind their own business!
And whine about something else .........................
time*treat
if i lived in a town like that, and seen this guy around,
i'd be sure there was a meth factory somewhere in the nearby surburbs.
LOL
dpoly1, would you quit playing if PA. changed to anon. ?
Proving that what's real? The winner? The jackpot? Honestly I don't think that revealing the winners of every jackpot is going to prevent hoaxes of any sort. They still happen whether everyone knows you or not. It's already been proven repeatedly the consequences of revealing winner identities to the public and the harm that comes to those winners. Once you get your check, you're basically on your own.
I don't mind basic information about the winners themselves (gender, age, town) but to reveal the actual name and show their picture is where all the real trouble starts.
I wish the lucky winners plenty of uninterrupted nights of
and plenty of days that include plenty of 
The lottery integrity is in doubt when 2 out of the 3 winning states for the world's biggest lottery jackpot allow you to remain anonymous.
AAAAAAMEN hearse !!!!
How about playing the lottery like a lab rat and not winning?
Exactly, who needs more proof, anon. is WTG, you hear me Gov. Christie ?
IDK why I would stop playing because you can claim your winnings anonymously .......
The Evil Greed of Envy is far too prevalent today, everyone is "entitled" to what belongs to someone else!
I would love it if everyone had the option to be anonymous!!!!!!!!!
?????????????????????????????????
Thrifty, if your state went anon. would you stop playing ?
Glad to see someone from my state win......just wish it would have been me lol
I wouldn't say "fair"; "reckless" or "irresponsible" is more like it.
MADDOG10, how can we get that started ? can we do that on LP ?
it would stop me from playing .
I feel that lottery players should be able to remain anonymous in every state.The lottery should treat every player equally.
Come awwwwn KSp...we know it was you,,give up the goods !!!!!
lol, the only person whining here is you, whining about peoples comments. everyone else was respectful in their replies except you.
At least one major lottery winner is being smart for once.
You are whining about anonymous winners .............
In case you can't read your own comments ................
I have been as respectful as the comments deserve ....................
Can't be KSp, can it ? i'd be so shook up i could't log on,
oh... wait they had a couple days to calm down, laughing at M/land.
How about lottery gambling addiction? Playing the lottery like a lab rat and not winning.
For all gamblers, even small-time bettors, gambling at the very least correlates with feelings such as irritation, frustration and aggravation then can worsen to agony, depression, violence and suicide. Gamblers may not always admit experiencing these feelings. However, gamblers definitely do experience these feelings. Even small-time $1 a week lottery players get irritated, frustrated and aggravated when always losing. Rarely though do gamblers only bet $1 a week even if saying that. When gamblers who say they only ever bet $1 a week, see a super jackpot getting big and bet $5, $10, $20 or more on it, then they are not $1 a week gamblers any longer. Gambling always means losing money. Usually losing more money than intended. The bottom line is that losing money and feeling all of these negative emotions is not fun, recreational or entertaining.
Every so-called moderate gambler has a gambling problem. Suppose that you are considered to be a moderate gambler. A moderate gambler will occasionally lose for example $5 at a time. So the gambling industry basically "grabs" $5 at a time from you. You would remember this for a lifetime if a thief grabbed a $5 bill out of your hand and ran away with it. What about a gambling industry "thief" who grabs $5 each time from you for a super jackpot lottery drawing? The odds are that you will never hit a super jackpot even if living many thousands of lifetimes. How about grabbing $5 a race at the horse racetrack? How about grabbing $5 a hand at blackjack? How about grabbing $5 for a few slot machine pulls? How about grabbing $5 per stock trade? How about grabbing $5 from you at other gambling activities? That occasional $5 multiplied by countless occasional times, adds up to a lot of money over the months and years. Anyone who is grabbing your money like this is a problem that must be eliminated. But the gambling industry does not want you to think this way. The gambling industry wants you to think that each occasional $5 lost gambling is fun, recreational and entertaining. The gambling industry spends millions of dollars on advertising and public relations to keep their so-called moderate gambling customers foolish and ignorant about gambling.
Too many people expect that they should know everything. Why? It's amazing that people live in states where anonymity is not even optional (like Rhode Island where I live). Having other people decide for you how much privacy you give up is stupid and intrusive and more than mildly offensive.
Well Thrifty, its like this......If you earn your money and its spent on power bills and cable and the newspaper, lottery, cigarettes, alcohol..who really cares ? I don't care if you want to do that..its none of my concern. If you want an extra $5 spent on something, its your choice, if its forced upon you and you have to pay, then its no longer your choice(like the price of gas and food lately)....do those items give me the possibility of returning money or possible retirement ??? Not at all...But the choice remains with the person with the money....Its mine and I will spend it as I see fit.... I don't tell anybody else on how to spend their money or how they should feel....IMHO neither should anyone else...but then again..that's the wonderful part about this country...Freedom of choice/speech and the right remain silent.
" ... gambling at the very least correlates with feelings such as irritation, frustration and aggravation then can worsen to agony, depression, violence ..."
So does Friday rush-hour traffic.
lolol......lololol.....Good one Time*
Can you stop playing the lottery for 1 year?
How about spending your annual lottery budget once a year in one drawing?
Do you have an annual lottery budget?
Looks like the KS winner was an own pick. When I win, I won't claim my jackpot anonymously because I can't. Staying anonymous is only good if you don't know how to say no to charities and people, are old, or plan to continue living in current residence. I wouldn't fall into any of those categories, so you can look forward to seeing my smiling face!
When I win and before I make my move to warmer climate, destination unknown to all solicitors, any piece of mail I see addressed "Jackpot Lottery Winner" or Powerball/Mega Millions Jackpot Winner" will immediately find its way into my recycling bin. Basically, what I am saying is that all solicitors and beggars will be wasting money on postage to contact me, and those attempts will be futile. This is the rule of thumb I would apply: if you have never loaned me any money in the past, don't bother asking me to give you any money when I win big money! Kapisch?!
Not a "smart move" for all of those who lost and question the integrity and legitimacy of the lottery. How do we know a real person actually received anything? I would think that lottery would care more about the billions of losers and people who made the jackpot what it was than they do about the one winner(s) security. Many do not believe they are legit if no actual winner is posted, and think that the larger jackpot games are scams and fixed. I would not doubt it either. Plus is BS that some states allow it and others don't. Make the playing field level or many will not even play at all.
But SirB. just having someone's smiling mug in a shot with a gigantor-sized check will not guarentee that the lottery is legit either. It could be someone who was paid 50$ and given a hot meal.
Illinois was the first state to play the games online , why don't they make it anonymous . For Powerball and Mega Millions .................
How about spending ($2*52 Weeks) $104 on MM and ( $4*52 Weeks) $208 on PB" on only one drawing, once a year?
Would you say that it takes discipline to do that?
sirbrad, i see you're from PA. if that state went anon. would you stop playing ?
asked same of dpoly1 & thrifty,
dpoly1 has no prob. thrifty has not answered me.
I doubt Wilson wan squat and is just looking for attention. However as I said before pools are fine are fine when everyone loses, but as soon as there is a winner no one remembers being in any pool. Sadly though it is idiots like Wilson who usually win. I guess the universe feels sorry for them.
If I wanted to..but I enjoy the great thoughts that could come with a win. Making plans for travel, a new house, financial freedom, the positive things you could do for so many people in your life, not to mention the charities you could give to.....Those are all positive things to think about... If I don't win ?? oh well, there's the next jackpot that I could be the winner of.....I have more fun thinking about the great things I could do for people with a large jackpot win... I never feel depressed about not winning....besides $6.00 a week ??...2 draws for Powerball and 2 for MM ?? ..heck, that's a large mocha grande at Starbucks or an $.86 Candy bar everyday of the week!!!.... Since I don't do the candy or Starbucks, its(lottery) my hobby cause I enjoy it. It doesn't cause me health risks ..Just pleasurable thoughts....Hope it does the same for you
I don't really care about being anonymous but it would be more convenient. But I am just saying don't have some states that can be and others that can't. That is stupid. I will stop playing because I just think the jackpot games are a rip off and could be fixed. Being anonymous does not help that problem. For all we know the lottery could have claimed it back themselves.
Under the circumstances, the rules should be waved and all three winnings should be allowed to remain anonymous. I'll bet most of the people holding those enormous $10,000 to $100,000 checks get tons of phone calls. I'm satisfied real players split the jackpot and have no reason to know where they live, how many tickets they bought, or how they plan on spending the winnings.
Funny I don't see any real proof at all.
THE LOTTERY IS RIGGED. Lottery games are a rip off.
Let's see... The woman hasn't checked her pants pocket... She knows she hasn't checked her pants pocket.. She is still looking..
????????? Is there a prize for sounding stupid or what?
If so , she won.. give her the prize...
thanks for your straight answer,
agree that all states should be the same on this but, thats a state's right's issue,
in a earlier post i said that if a state started w/ public disclosure it would be difficult to change it,
on the other hand what happens if an anon. state decides to go public ?
I already said in the past that I don't believe photos or big checks online either. But it is better than nothing. I personally will not believe anyone actually wins until I or someone I know wins it. Then I will confirm it here.
HOW TO WIN THE LOTTERY by not playing? SAVE YOUR MONEY.
I guarantee you this is the smartest decision this person has EVER made. He/she will be protected from the leeches, the kidnapers, the beggars, the scammers, the aggressive charities, the purveyors of high end consumer items and all the other scum that typically besiege a lottery winner.
Double congrats to them, hopefully nobody they know let's it slip so they can continue life as - somewhat - normal.
Yea, and how do you know that the person with the winning ticket might be from a couple of towns over? That's what I do when the jackpots get up over 100 million. Also, I suspect even if the winner is from Ottawa they will at least move far away, and maybe even move out of the country, and take his money with him via an offshore LLC and trust. And when you win that much you can afford to not sell your house for a good little while I 'spect.
Even though you can clain anonymously, Wouldn't it be a god idea to claim in a trust or LLC for taxes or some other reason? If it was me, I would ask my lawyer.
Congratulations to the anonymous winner.That's the way to collect your winnings.Enjoy your millions AND your privacy!
i guess smart people do still exist in this country. glad they chose to remain anonymous, i only wish every state would give you that option.
the next town over is a mighty long distance from ottawa, but maybe, anythings possible. but if he is from that small town, hopefully he is not like ted danson in Curb Your Enthusiasm. ted danson makes an anonymous donation but then proceeds to go around telling everyone that he was anonymous. search for it on youtube its great.
Our state seems very ambigious about this. Oh, they say you can't, but I've heard from attorneys that you can claim with an LLC. The only down side to that is that georgia is an open records state. Therefore, anyone can go to the appropiate state agency and find out the name and address of the owner, or owners of the LLC. But what I wonder is if you can have a trust own the LLC, and thus when some up to no good lawyer goes snooping they can only find out the name of the trust that owns the LLC. As I understand it, the owner of a trust is actually the trustee, but in reality it would be yours. I am inclined to believe that the Ga. lottery might be open to a little wheeling and dealing.
Congrats to the winner.....
This person did the right thing and it's great that Kansas has that law. Stay off the News if your state allows it! Now, the Maryland case is full of more crap than a toilet.
I have new respect for people from Kansas. Not that I did not before.
Any state that has the sense to allow a winner to claim anonymously has intelligent people living there.
To keep my name out of it, I woud be willing to play paperwork hide and go seek. I read somewhere that a blind trust was just for claiming the winnings you form another one to actually keep funds in.
Would **I** say it takes discipline to do that... I am probably not the best person to answer that question, because I would say 'no'.
I purchase 2$ worth of tickets for each drawing pb & mm... for mm that means 2 tickets per draw/2 draws/week, for pb that means 1 ticket per draw/2 draws/week.
Did I increase the amount of tickets I purchased when the drawing got obscenely high? no. Did I consider it? Momentarily, then I laughed and moved on.
Does this make me a better or worse 'gambler'? I dont believe so. It means I have a budget and stick to it. Does this make me better at creating a livable budget and having the discipline to stick to a financial plan? Perhaps. But that has nothing to do with lottery playing. Most of my friends and neighbors and family have zero financial interest or ability. There are still taxes to be 're-done' from 2010 sitting on my desk that were dropped off earlier in the week by neighbors. There is an IRS agent that brings me THEIR taxes, not because they cant, but because they dont WANT to do it.
So my question is this. what is your point?
I do. When I was stationed there, I won 25,000.00 in their lottery. I got my check and was happy. They are honest.
Congrulations to the winner! I would remain anonymous also. Too many stories about winners being bombarded with requests for handouts. That puts you and your family and close friends at risk. I too would have a permanent smile on my face.
God bless them.
Two couples from my home town won BIG in the POWERBALL (jackpots) Dec 31, 2003 & oct 29, 2008, and as a PA citizen and neighbor to the winners , no one bothers them. Reckon its a respect thing we have here, beats any rules of NEEDING proof as they are proof that you can win big, walk in public and NOT be hounded , even when the media gets your name and home town.
I think as someone suggested it can be optional. I have a hard time grasping other states mandating what the neighboring states lottery rules should be on remaining anonymous. I sure as heck don't travel in another state and tell them how to run taxes or their govt (except for New Jersey which definitely needs help on all levels).
To the Kansas winner, fair play on winning and keeping low profile. As someone pointed out, just cuz it was bought there don't mean they live there.
yes, i would still claim money in a trust or LLC for protection of id as well as for tax reasons.!
I live inSouth Carolinaand we have that option. Once upon a time long ago I was blessed to claim a prize over $500 and they asked if I wanted my picture taken to be put on the website but thankfully I had already read the claim form and told them NO that I wanted to remain anonymous.
I have the problem of so many people of not being able to say “NO” to family...and it has led me into some serious debt that I have yet to get out of. Common Sense is a wonderful thing...and remaining anonymous for a prize amount of this magnitude is just plain 'ol common sense!
May the winner continue to be blessed!
The winner in Kansas "EARNED" the right to remain anonymous when they put their money into play. Congrats to them. The public has not earned the right to know "JACK." If the state rules allow you to remain anonymous, and you make that choice everybody else dont matter.
That would be the safest way to truly be anonymous. In SC you can remain anonymous but because of the SC Freedom of Information Act anyone can request the name of the winner by just filing a request under this law.
I feel that we can't blame the winner for claiming the jackpot anonymously. We have the right to have privacy. Congratulations to the winner/winners.
Congratulations HUGE net Mega Millions 1/3 jackpot winner(s) in Kansas. That's one ticket I wish I had possessed! Now your big dreams can be orchestrated.
are you kidding? everyone wants to know. who cares if the winner wants to remain not found out. someone will find out and tell. i would scream it from the rooftops if someone from a silent state won and i knew. what if every winner could remain anonymous. people would stop playing if no winners were ever revealed. that's half the fun for the losers. watching and waiting to see how some winners will squander it. why do most of you want to protect the winners. if you won you know someone would spill the beans on you. you would have to spend every waking moment trying to protect yourself from being found out. they cannot continue life as somewhat normal. what a joke. especially with this big a hit. win and move far away if you want but every winner must be revealed at a press conference on the local evening news. major winners at least. those 250k winners should be able to keep their mug of tv at least but identity must be revealed on the states lottery web site. how else can family and friends go after them for a cut. that's half the fun of winning. being able to refuse some and help some and making new friends and enemies. why hoard it for your selfish self. no one needs that much money anyway.
This winner in kansas is very smart now he or she does not have to worry about people hounding them this is exactly what i will do claim my prize anonymously.
People will never know that i won millions i'm waiting for the powerball jackspot to increase to at least $100- $150 million dollars my lottery wheel will hit.
Now this mcdonalds worker in maryland is another story i really believe she has the ticket she is trying to find a way to get around not sharing the prize.
i would scream it from the rooftops if someone from a silent state won and i knew. - and this is yet another reason to NOT announce any win on LP
what if every winner could remain anonymous. people would stop playing if no winners were ever revealed. - I would, respectfully, have to disagree. There are many who wish to remain anon, many who havent ever given it a thought, and many who just dont care.
you would have to spend every waking moment trying to protect yourself from being found out. they cannot continue life as somewhat normal. - once again, I woud have to agree to disagree. We have a winner of a 'large-ish' lottery (1M$+)win locally (a block or so away) and no one bothers them. and they have lived here, or their family has, for generations.
how else can family and friends go after them for a cut. that's half the fun of winning. - your idea of family dynamics and 'good clean fun' is staggering to me.
first of all announcing on LP won't matter. someone will find out and reveal it for sure. and they should. 2nd of all if no winners were ever revealed people would lose interest in playing absolutely. 3rd of all your local winner of 1m or so didn't win enough to be bothered. we are talking about this highly publicized megamillions jackpot that everyone got into a furor over (needlessly i admit) but people want to know who wins it. why protect the winner. it's a price that have to pay (disclosure) 4th of all half the fun of winning isn't having people go after you. it's being able to deny or reward them. believe me, if you won people would find out and then you could deal with it anyway you want. but they would find out and someone would tell.
you are a crackpot. if you win (which you won't) it will be revealed and you know it. you probably will believe in anything if you believe that mcdonalds worker has the ticket. you are the only person in the world who believes that.
fabre98,
"...how else can family and friends go after them for a cut. that's half the fun of winning."
Well you've shown yourself as a chooch and a mooch. That one statement is more than enough reason for people to remain anonymous.
What do you think CT ??? Not held enough as a child or lack of adult supervision in his adolescent years ?