Four months after South Carolina's first Mega Millions jackpot win, the staggering $1.5 billion prize remains unclaimed.
That leaves two months until the six-month deadline to cash in the winning lottery ticket — and more time to speculate on what's taking the person so long to collect their winnings.
The winning ticket for the Oct. 23 drawing was sold at Simpsonville's KC Mart #7, and signs in the store window proclaim, "We sold a Mega Millions ticket worth... $1.5 billion."
Still, mystery surrounds the unclaimed jackpot as the convenience store and state officials wait for the winner to come forward.
"It wasn't me," Ray Black said with a laugh as he checked the numbers on a lottery ticket recently at the KC Mart #7.
Missing out on millions
The holder of the winning ticket could've accrued millions of dollars in interest over the past four months.
Hans Blake, principal owner of Intelligent Investing, did the math and calculated that if the winner had taken the $878 million offered as a lump-sum payment back in October and deposited it in a savings account with an interest rate of 2 percent, the money would have grown by about $5.8 million over the past four months.
And, Blake said, investing in the stock market at a 7-percent rate of return would have generated an additional $20 million or so over the past four months.
But, hey, what's a few million when you've got a $1.5 billion ticket?
With the jackpot continuing to go unclaimed, KC Mart #7 owners and the state of South Carolina also can't cash in.
The winner would pay about $60 million in state income taxes.
KC Mart #7 also can't claim their share of the winnings, around $50,000 before taxes, store manager Gee Patel said.
If the jackpot isn't claimed, the money goes back to the states that contributed to the jackpot. The amount is based on ticket sales. South Carolina's share would be about $11.2 million, South Carolina Education Lottery spokeswoman Holli Armstrong said.
Who is SC's Mega Millions winner?
Patel said that the lucky ticket has continued to bring in customers hoping that lottery lightning will strike twice.
They buy "everything" lottery-related, Patel said.
Many customers ask Patel if he knows who the winner is, but he is just as curious as they are. And he does have a theory as to why the ticket-holder has yet to claim the money.
"Maybe they are putting everything in order, you know," Patel said.
Kent Early was purchasing scratch-offs on a recent afternoon at KC Mart #7. He said he occasionally buys tickets for the weekly drawings.
"Every once in a while, on a night that I know they're fixing to draw, if I remember, and it's convenient, and I'm passing by, I'll stop by and pick a couple of numbers for either the Powerball or the Mega Millions," Early said.
Rumors about the winner have flown around town since the drawing. Early said he heard that "it was the guy in Fountain Inn or the guy in Gray Court or the guy here or there... but nobody knows."
Dale Parker said he also heard the rumors back in October, but the person's identity is still a mystery.
Parker doesn't play the lottery, but "I wish I'd played it that day," he said.
Anybody on board to think that the ticket has been lost, washed or destroyed by the sun on a dashboard? Initially thought they were waiting for the new tax year, was wrong on that account.
Time will tell...
My theory, someone bought it and did not want "that ticket" so store took it back and gave them the ticket they wanted.
I'm going with the"LoL"theory... Landfill or Lost
It's starting to look the person who bought the ticket never checked and/or tossed it in the trash. If they have video of that person buying the ticket, will SC suspend their rules and declare that person the jackpot winner?
After all with a 7% state tax, South Carolina will lose a huge chunk of change if the prize is divided among all the MM states.
As much media coverage that drawing had I doubt if that ticket was lost. I'm sure with if the store had camera surveillance they have a idea when the ticket was purchased and who purchased it. Although I see no reason in taking so long to claim maybe they just want to wait until the 11th hour. I'm sure the media coverage will heat up once the deadline gets closer. I would hate to see someone miss out on a 1.5 billion dollar windfall and I'm sure South Carolina doesn't want to miss out on the 61 million for selling the winning ticket.
Illegal drugs are a major problem in America. Fentanyl is death. Could this person have purchased the ticket and the overdosed on drugs? Possibly losing the ticket somewhere along his path. Is this reality in America today?
My guess is that it's an elderly person (70's or 80's) that buys tickets from time to time and hasn't checked it yet. Probably has the ticket in her/his purse/wallet. This person is perhaps absent minded as well.
I'm still going with the dog ate it.
Time traveller........
Came back from the future (John Titor perhaps)
bought the ticket, realized it won, went back to their time,
couldn't get back here to cash it.........yet
In New York the Mega is valid for up to one year, which should be the law for ALL STATES.
"Hans Blake, principal owner of Intelligent Investing, did the math and ..."
Apparently doesn't know much about state and federal tax withholding, since the math doesn't account for losing about 30% right off the bat. If I ever need an investment company in SC I know one that won't be in the running.
"If they have video of that person buying the ticket, will SC suspend their rules and declare that person the jackpot winner?"
I suppose they could try, but I can't imagine it would work.
Based on sales for the last couple of PB jackpots SC accounts for less than 2% of total sales. That would mean that less than $17 million of that $878 million cash value came from SC and more than $860 million came from other states. If there's no winner that money goes back to the other states, and there's not a snowball's chance in hell that those other states are going to pass up a chance to get that money back if somebody doesn't come forward and claim the prize. If SC doesn't follow the rules we'll see what's essentially the biggest lottery pool lawsuit ever.
All is not lost until the 180 day claiming deadline has past! (4/21/2019 Easter Sunday)
we'll find out sooner or later and the results will probably be any one of the infinite lame excuses
No one in their right mind will loose out on 1.5 Billion dollars.
I'm waiting for April 19th 2019 that I heard was the deadline to see if anyone comes forward
I agree and by 4/21, perhaps the MM or PB will be back at $1billion.
Maybe the winner needed time to sell his or her home, wind down a job/career commitment, etc. We have seen more than a few winners claim it after months and I am not counting the ones who never looked at the ticket till the last moment.
"The holder of the winning ticket could've accrued millions of dollars in interest over the past four months."
Let's go with the assumption the winner is getting his or her act together before cashing it in, and losing out on a few million dollars in interest or depriving the state of their take for a little while longer are not foremost in his or her thoughts. I know if I had that kind of money, making sure I'm using it to earn more money is of zero interest to me. I'm going to be about the spending, not the investing.
For most states, it is 180 days after the draw date on the ticket. There are only a handful of states that have one year limits.
In Florida, http://www.flalottery.com/faq "Prizes in Florida Lottery Draw games must be claimed within 180 days of the applicable draw date. Draw game prizes for which a single-payment cash option is available must be claimed within the first 60 days after the winning drawing to elect the cash option. Florida Lottery Scratch-Off and Fast Play game prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire."
In terms of counting days, it is all days, not just business days M-F, I assume?
If the state doesn't have a different claim time frame Mega Millions rules apply (180 days)!
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/18/mega-millions-jackpot-taxes-winning-ticket-money/1680704002/
Since the last day to collect this behemoth jackpot is April 21st and that just happens to be Easter Sunday... Will the lottery actually stay open on Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st ?(provided it is not claimed on or before the 19th) After all, the SC website does state in the FAQ they are open Mon-Fri 8:30AM - 5PM.
http://www.sceducationlottery.com/lottery/contact/centers.asp
**I'm leaning towards yes, with $61 Million in taxes to be collected
In the SCEL website's FAQ section it states "Q: How long do I have to redeem a prize I won on an online ticket?
A: Pick 3, Pick 4, Palmetto Cash 5, Lucky For Life, Mega Millions® and Powerball® tickets can be redeemed up to 180 days after the draw date printed on the ticket. "
If the person(s) don't claim the ticket by Fri, I would assume that since by Monday the ticket will be 181 days past the drawing date and become worthless. Not even worth the $2 they paid for it on Oct 23, 2018.
They have had plenty of time so far to get their financial ducks in a row, so why not claim it already and start living the life!
Associated Press . . Unclaimed $1.5B jackpot mystery: Winner died? Ticket lost?
No one knows. Only the shadow knows! And maybe that proverbial fly on the wall.
Time will tell. tick...tick....tick....tick...
I have more trust in your US lotteries......our lotteries in South Africa is rigged as the winner is protected with anonymity (How convenient) =Lots of unclaimed tickets not claimed here -simple I dont trust them. 230 Million Powerball ticket sold here and nobody claimed it #Fishy and crooks
It was Bill Gates who won. Said he doesn't need the money.
Here's what really happened....a religious man bought some tickets, however, his uber religious wife detests gambling of any sort, including the lottery. He told her they had hit it big, but she said she will have nothing to do with dirty money. She gave him an ultimatum: either he claims the prize and get slapped with divorce papers within the week or he doesn't collect the jackpot and they continue as husband and wife. Oh, and if he claims it and she files for divorce, she said that she would seek half of the prize and donate the lion share to the pastor of her church!
So unfortunately, this jackpot will not be claimed, which is a shame because I know many of us could use even just a sliver of it!
I am going to start writing some novels...the first one will be titled, "Mega Millions: Thrills and Horrors"
I had thoughts on a similer type of lottery book, to be published after all was said,done,spentand the day after my death wiith the proceeds to be donated to the nearest no kill cat shelter
I still believe that the Huge Jackpot Prize will be claimed before it expires.