Biggest Mega Millions jackpot in 5 years
Half-billion jackpot is 9th-largest of all time
By Todd Northrop
Lottery players across the United States will be lining up at lottery retailers for their chance to win Friday's massive $548 million Mega Millions jackpot, after nobody won Tuesday's $470 million grand prize.
The cash value stands at a staggering $309.2 million.
After nobody won Tuesday night's grand prize, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to the largest size it has seen in five years. The last time it was this big was on Dec. 17, 2013, when a $636 million jackpot was split by two tickets. The two halves of that jackpot were claimed by Ira Curry of Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Steve Tran of Northern California.
Friday's $548 million Mega Millions jackpot is the 3rd-largest in the game's history, and the 9th-largest United States lottery jackpot of all time (see full list below).
The lump-sum cash value of $309.2 million is also the 13th-largest on the all-time US lottery jackpot cash value list.
The current jackpot run-up started on July 27 as a $40 million grand prize — it has been over 2 months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner.
Lottery players wondering what all the cash will look like in their bank account after federal and state taxes are taken out can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.
The rush of ticket sales over the next few days likely will propel the jackpot to an even higher amount before the drawing takes place Friday. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot tallies displayed if such an increase occurs.
In Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 4 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from California, 1 from Colorado, 1 from Pennsylvania, and 1 from Wisconsin.
The California second-prize winner will be awarded $440,703 instead of the fixed $1 million prize awarded in the other states. By law, California awards all lottery prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold within California and the number of tickets that won at each prize level in the state. This drawing the pari-mutuel prize calculation meant a smaller prize.
Unfortunately, none of the second-prize winners purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. If they had, their prize would have been increased to a whopping $3 million, because the Megaplier number drawn was 3.
The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts.
Also, a total of 37 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 5 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $30,000, and 9 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $6,784.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, October 9, 2018, were 20, 22, 39, 54, and 60, with Mega Ball number 18. The Megaplier number was 3.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $78 million from its previous amount of $470 million. The cash value was raised by $43.9 million from its previous amount of $265.3 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 44 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 9th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $548 million, Oct. 12, 2018 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Mega Millions: $543 million, Jul. 24, 2018 - California
- Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 - Indiana
- Mega Millions: $533 million, Mar. 30, 2018 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 - New Hampshire
- Powerball: $456.7 million, Mar. 17, 2018 - Pennsylvania
- Mega Millions: $451 million, Jan. 5, 2018 - Florida
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 - California
- Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 - Indiana
- Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
- Powerball: $420.9 million, Nov. 26, 2016 - Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $393 million, Aug. 11, 2017 - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 15
- Mega Millions: 10
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 13th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $324 million cash, Mar. 30, 2018 ($533 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $320.5 million cash, Jul. 24, 2018 ($543 million annuity) - California
- Mega Millions: $309.2 million cash, Oct. 12, 2018 ($548 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $281.9 million cash, Jan. 5, 2018 ($451 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $273.9 million cash, Mar. 17, 2018 ($456.7 million annuity) - Pennsylvania
- Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $254.7 million cash, Nov. 26, 2016 ($420.9 million annuity) - Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $246.5 million cash, Aug. 11, 2017 ($393 million annuity) - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 14
- Mega Millions: 11
and may the luck of the
be with you
Second Price with Multiplier. If hit the jack fine.
I'm on my way to get my tickets!
It's Mega Millions Time!
Great Post!
Yes! It's about time.
Yes! It is celebration time noise-gate and all LP Members!
$309. Million Cash(take-home of $194,796,000).. hmmmmm...
..... ohhhh the possibilities 
Do you know where you will put all this cash?
I agree with the..."ohhh the possibilities?
l definitely can see donating $50mil to worthy causes over my lifespan, given that it's just the Mrs & l. We certainly can " survive " on $140mil. If we couldn't, we have no business playing the lottery at all.
Not at the moment M, I would leave that to my financial adviser...What I definitely would do is keep $10-15 Million in cash for myself for immediate access, at least $1-2 Million in gold and $1-2 million in silver,some in Palladium..But with that massive amount, I truly wouldn't keep more than $75 Million and give the rest away to charities, family, close friends
I was hoping that the take home would break $200 Mil, but alas, no....
We have to trust our financial advisers. They work with these amounts on a daily basis.
You are generous!
The take-home might reach $200 Mil by Friday night at draw time.
$194,670,000.00 is just fine with me!
WTG Todd et all with all your hard work for the big lottery standings...always my fave.
What do MA, MI, OH, IN and KY all have in common? Nothing for this drawing on my tickets.
Canadian Lotto Max may just save the day.
Did win $1 on KY Cashball 225 though.
Honestly M....WHAT-TA-HECK,would ANYONE in our age range, who is not used to that kind of wealth, reasonably do with more than $75 Million ?.. Guess a plane and super yacht... IMHO those kind of finances should to be shared with people who are in need or who could retire with a $3-5 Million nest egg and help people they know... just a lottery theory, subject to change
Our financial advisers will be able to calculate how much we need. How much to invest to get to that amount.
The Recession word is slowly being talked about. It may be nine months away. I do not like to time the stock market. I am not qualified to time it.
The poor you will always have and you can do good to them at any time. Paraphrasing Jesus.
I hear that Mutual Funds do not go as high as stocks and they do not go as low as stocks. I will definitely need a CPA to do my taxes if I go the mutual funds' route.
When I want to fly I would use a flexjet card. If I do not take a commercial flight.
I had my fill of the Pacific Ocean while in the United States Navy. So, no superyacht for me.
Perfect time to scoop up powerball :-)
The jackpot will be hit either Fri or next week. Guarantee it . So for all the desperate ones so emotional about it. Here ya go.
Would be nice if PB goes up to abt $350mil after tonight.
Yeah I can agree with Friday I don't think it will even make it to next weeks Wed/Friday drawings. Hoping to see multiple winners cant even remember the last time there's been more than 1 in either MM or PB.
Hi Todd
Yeah right, just like the last drawing, no one will buy tickets. No one cares.
Well maybe except for us here at LP lol
Powerball drawing tonight in Urbandale, Iowa, not Talla hassee, FL due to Michael. They were quick to point out the drawing won't be televised....ummmm
Noooooo EnR... single winning ticket sold in TN
So close to you but so far away. Friday night is your time to win.
Maybe John and Lisa Robinson won the single ticket there.
Thank You Bleudog101 for the update.
Hurricane Michael is disrupting a lot of lives in the South.
It puts Lotto in perspective. What is important in our lives.
Well, on another note Beadnose 409 won the Fat Bear week contest up in Alaska !!
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/its-officially-fat-bear-week-at-an-alaskan-national-park-—-and-the-2018-winner-has-been-crowned/ss-BBNTCUg?ocid=spartandhp#image=25
paymentplan-man, There are related stories about multiple winners on the Opening Page of this thread. Wells Fargo bank employees recently won as a pool. music*
I always buy 1 ticket for every drawing (Powerball or Mega, whichever is richer), plus the Megaplier or Powerplay option, respectively. Today, in the spirit of the huge jackpot I asked for 4 Megas, each on individual tickets, only I just now realized that I forgot to ask for the Megaplier! I'm going to be kicking myself if I win one of the lower tier prizes without the multiplier. Argh!
Just in case someone here wins, very interesting article from Forbes, How to remain anonymous when you give to charity;
https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/09/19/how-to-stay-anonymous-when-you-give-to-charity/#1875371840dd
But different machines. So maybe someone's luck in lp will change.
None of the occasional players that i normally see on my campus who buy when it gets big are buying yet. Looks like most people are gonna wait for it to hit a certified Billion before they buy.
Mr Northrop, l noticed that in the paragraph above where you lead the readers to check out the UsaMega site- you posted the price of a MM ticket as costing $1.00- Thought you ought to know.
Good advice CT.
Sorry I should have been more clear what I meant to say was that I hope to see more than one winning ticket win the jackpot.....not just a single winning ticket
Not all financial advisors are created equal music. They may work with these amounts on a daily basis, but they could also be looking out for Their best interests. Just a cautionary note to the wise...
You probably just saved yourself $4
If those are quick picks (computer picks) and your do get the first five numbers comfort yourself with the thought that you most likely wouldn’t have received those numbers if the computer had to use a little time to add the megaplyer. You might have gotten completely different numbers.
Lol yeah that's so true. Every little millisecond can yield a totally new combo.
Also, no one knows which balls will be drawn. This is the beauty of the game.
There are many psychics who have tried their trade and failed.
But there is the case of the family in Trenton, New Jersey who's Mother dreamed the winning numbers. A feel-good story which is now a Lottery Post story.
Pearlie Mae Smith and her children won the record making jackpot.
Let's see an LP Member win this huge jackpot!
That's true enough (and fairly profound, when you think about it!) It's funny to think that winning or losing a random draw literally hinges upon the most minute decision or hesitation: you could sneeze while asking the clerk to print up a quick pick and, during that half second, 1000 sets of numbers have swept by.
862 sounds like a good number to play on pick 3...get the hint?
No Bleudog101, I do not get the hint. I will use 548 on a pick 3. How about 195?
When you win MM will you mind if I continually bring your LP ID up in discussion?
I will be a JERK "Jealous, Envious, Resentful, and a Killjoy". Just kidding! LOL
I hope that an LP Member wins MM.
noise-gate, Have you ever heard the term, "Fiduciary"? A fiduciary is legally obligated to put their client's interests first.
The old way is to say that the stocks that are sold to you are "suitable". This is a much lower standard.
Go ahead and ask your financial adviser if he/she is a Fiduciary.
The Stock Market took a hit yesterday.
862 is the combined jackpots of MM and PB, I think that's what Bleudog101 is saying.
Interesting article. You have to pay extra bucks in lawyer/acct/manager fees plus forgo any tax deductions. IOW, you have to be filthy rich. The person they profiled is a muti billionaire. He says it's so people dont come out of the woodwork begging and so he doesnt get harassed for making the donations he wants to make. Is it worth it? I think so -- if you got the bucks.
Yeah I know for certain that I would only want to give anonymously. Tax deduction sounds nice but if gifting anonymously means having to forgo a deduction, like you said if you have the bucks then go for it. I can't recall the man's name but he had a quote that gifting money anonymously but it was similar to this one here.“The most generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.” Carol Ryrie Brink
Well I would want to start a family non profit but that's another story!!
Cha ching Coin Toss and even went and played 862 str/box for KY mid-day.
23. Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
24. Mega Millions: $393 million, Aug. 11, 2017 - Illinois
25. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
Only three more jackpots before the top 25 is all in the $400+ zone.
#23 South Carolina was claimed anonymously. The winner has still not come forward.
After really looking at that list it seems weird that number 9 and 10 for the cash payout amount have their respective values. Number nine seems like it should have a larger value and number 10 seems to high lol. Pretty soon its going to be full of 500+ at the rate things are going
Music why would state the SC winner didn't come forward? He came forward just choose to remain anonymous.
#9 Cash Value was won by Steve Tran in CA and Ira Curry in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Steve Tran's story is very funny.
Why would they want to come forward Music...im confused. If they didn't want to claim anonymously they would have skipped doing that when the went in to claim that money!!
MsBee18, I do not understand your question, sorry.
The winner might be a beginner's lucky winner. I am not sure though.
South Carolina allows winners to remain anonymous. Is that it?
Well your original comment was that the person who claimed the ticket hasn't come forward yet. But people who claim anonymously don't want to come forward because then they aren't anonymous anymore.
I am not sure how South Carolina rules to remain anonymous work.
We do not know the identity of the winner/s.
So far the winner/s have not come forward.
The winner/s still have the option to come forward.
The winner/s have claimed the prize.
I guess you are confused by, "come forward". I should have written, "the winners have come forward to claim the prize but are still anonymous".
Music buddy you have me all types of confused right now. I wasn't asking how any state can stay anonymous. I was simply telling you that a person who claims anonymously is not going to want to come forward. Again you originally said that the person who won that lottery in SC claimed the ticket but has not come forward yet. IN return I was saying that the winner will never come forward because they don't want to which is why they took the option to claim anonymously. I think you should have just not wrote the second sentence lol. Stating that they claimed anon while also stating that they havent come forward is repeating the same thing and yeah how you wrote it was confusing. I think its safe to say that if anyone claims anon they will never come forward to say hey its me the winner of the (insert amount) jackpot on (insert date)!!
My intention was not to confuse anyone. I agree that the winner/s will remain anonymous.
Steve Tran article.
I am fascinated by Gloria McKenzie's lottery story. Some woman let her in-front of the line to buy a ticket. She ended up moving to a gated community in my hometown. She make headway when she won the single largest winning ticket worth $590.5 million, back May 18, 2013 in her 80's. Can you really enjoy that much money at such a ripe age?
"Can we really enjoy that much money at such a ripe age?" Most of us intend to find out.
Charities come to mind. Family too.
I am applying for my FFL and stocking up !!!..My new motto will be"Anything Automatic"
I'm in my 30's. Escorts and a Bentley come to mind for me.
I think that's a marvelous idea. I'd also like to buy a thousand acres down in the bottoms where I'd have enough distance to zero a .50 at about 1000 yards. Also it'd be nice to build an indoor range for these cold Illinois winters, lol.
345,629. 1616
I’m going to be like Ira Curry, mentioned at the end of the article, and drop out of sight when I win.
Im coming too
I know some people in their early 80s that can really party so I have no doubt age isn’t a factor in enjoying that kind of money.
This is a great time to win a huge jackpot and be generous with loved ones. With the lifetime gift exclusion hiked to $11,180,000 you could very generously give to family and not have to worry about gift tax. I was always going to be generous but not having to give Uncle Sam yet another taste will make it just that much sweeter.
And if you're married that increases to 22.3M which would be perfect for me. Always said I would want to gift no more than 20million to family/friends in my lifetime when I win.
I hope Ira has a big place.
It does seem like the perfect giving amount. I want to see people enjoy it now. And I would make it very clear that this is it. No handouts or bailouts.
Although I might spring for some awesome family vacations through the years.