$600 MILLION: Mega Millions jackpot soars after no winner Friday

Jan 9, 2021, 8:47 am (18 comments)

Mega Millions

8th-largest US lottery jackpot in history; 6th-largest cash value

By Todd Northrop

There are going to be a lot of lottery tickets sold this week.

For only the 8th time in the history of United States lotteries, a lottery jackpot has reached $600 million.

The new high-water mark of $600 million for the current Mega Millions jackpot was achieved after no winning tickets were sold for Friday night's $520 million grand prize.

The lump-sum cash payout value of Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is a staggering $442.4 million.  After-tax cash and annuity prize amounts are reported state-by-state on the Jackpot Analysis page at USA Mega, a web site devoted to the Mega Millions and Powerball multi-state lottery games.

Tuesday's mammoth jackpot is the result of 33 consecutive draws without a winner.  The run-up started as a $20 million prize on September 18.

Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.

The winning numbers for Friday, January 8, 2021 were 3, 6, 16, 18, and 58, with Mega Ball number 11.  The Megaplier number was 2.

Even though nobody won the jackpot Friday, 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from California, 1 from Georgia, 1 from Massachusetts, 1 from New Jersey, and 1 from New York. The ticket sold in New York was purchased with the Megaplier option, multiplying that prize to $2 million.

The California second-prize winner will take home a $576,869 prize, because California does not pay out fixed prizes like all 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.

All Mega Millions jurisdictions except California offer the Megaplier option, which for an extra $1 per play multiplies any non-jackpot prizes the player wins by the Megaplier number drawn.  The Megaplier 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 84 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 11 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $20,000, and 16 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $4,995.

The complete payout information and official drawing video for Friday's drawing can be found at USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Information page.

Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $80 million from its previous amount of $520 million. The cash value was raised by $59 million from its previous amount of $383.4 million.

The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Tuesday night at 11:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 pm Pacific).

To find the nearest lottery retailer to buy your tickets, head over to the Lottery Places website to download the free app on your iOS or Android phone or Windows computer. Lottery Places is the only app on the market that will locate lottery retailers in every state and jurisdiction throughout the United States.

Some states offer direct online sales too.  Michigan residents can bypass the store completely and buy Mega Millions tickets and  Powerball tickets online.  Texas residents can buy Mega Millions tickets and Powerball tickets online too.  Oregon residents have options to buy Mega Millions tickets and Powerball tickets online as well.  Note that some of these links will only work properly for residents of the states mentioned.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each. For an extra $1 per ticket players can purchase the Megaplier option, which multiplies any non-jackpot won by up to 5 times, depending on the Megaplier number drawn that evening.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 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.

Mega Millions lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com).  The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Mega Millions.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 8th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States, and the 4th-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever.  Brisk sales will likely push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

If nobody wins Tuesday, it's anyone's guess how high it will go.

  1. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
  2. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
  3. Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
  4. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
  5. Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
  6. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  7. Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
  8. Mega Millions: $600 million, Jan. 12, 2021 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  9. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
  10. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
  11. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  12. Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
  13. Mega Millions: $543 million, Jul. 24, 2018 (22 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  14. Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 (34 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Indiana
  15. Mega Millions: $533 million, Mar. 30, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
  16. Mega Millions: $522 million, Jun. 7, 2019 (24 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  17. Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
  18. Powerball: $470 million, Jan. 9, 2021 (32 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  19. Powerball: $456.7 million, Mar. 17, 2018 (19 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Pennsylvania
  20. Mega Millions: $451 million, Jan. 5, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Florida
  21. Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 (12 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
  22. Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  23. Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 (18 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Indiana
  24. Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 (18 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
  25. Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Powerball: 16
  • Mega Millions: 9

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 6th-largest cash value in U.S. history.

  1. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
  2. Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
  3. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
  4. Powerball: $476.9 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
  5. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  6. Mega Millions: $442.4 million cash, Jan. 12, 2021 ($600 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  7. Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
  8. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
  9. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  10. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
  11. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
  12. Powerball: $362.7 million cash, Jan. 9, 2021 ($470 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  13. Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
  14. Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
  15. Mega Millions: $340 million cash, Jun. 7, 2019 ($522 million annuity) - California
  16. Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
  17. Mega Millions: $324 million cash, Mar. 30, 2018 ($533 million annuity) - New Jersey
  18. Mega Millions: $320.5 million cash, Jul. 24, 2018 ($543 million annuity) - California
  19. Mega Millions: $319.9 million cash, Jun. 9, 2020 ($414 million annuity) - Arizona
  20. Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
  21. Mega Millions: $281.9 million cash, Jan. 5, 2018 ($451 million annuity) - Florida
  22. Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
  23. Powerball: $276.5 million cash, Jan. 29, 2020 ($396.9 million annuity) - Florida
  24. Powerball: $273.9 million cash, Mar. 17, 2018 ($456.7 million annuity) - Pennsylvania
  25. Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana

The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Powerball: 15
  • Mega Millions: 10

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

EnReval

Those numbers looked like they were winners, oh well--next

 

may be able to reach $1bil if no winners on Tues or Friday next week

 

hope more than 3 winners

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

Those are numbers that plenty of people might choose or be happy with, but there's not getting around probability. There was only about a 1 in 5 chance of a winner, and probability did what it tends to do.

The cash to annuity ratio has been dropping lately, and I was disappointed to see that the $30 million bump in the advertised value for Friday night was  only about a $7 million increase in the cash value. Still the current cash value is almost 74% which is substantially higher than any previous top ten jackpot. If somebody wins the advertised $600 million they'll get almost $46 million more than the winner of PB's advertised jackpot of $687 million on October 2018.

At this point there's a decent (though still fairly small) chance we could see it roll to a billion or more. It might pass a billion if it rolls next Friday, but I suspect it needs  the following Wednesday too. If that happens we may be well past a billion, and depending on what the cash to annuity ratio does that could mean a new cash record. At the current 73.67% we'd see a new record at about $1.336 billion. As a rough guess, somewhere around $1.4 billion or so would give us a cash value over a full billion.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by KY Floyd on Jan 9, 2021

Those are numbers that plenty of people might choose or be happy with, but there's not getting around probability. There was only about a 1 in 5 chance of a winner, and probability did what it tends to do.

The cash to annuity ratio has been dropping lately, and I was disappointed to see that the $30 million bump in the advertised value for Friday night was  only about a $7 million increase in the cash value. Still the current cash value is almost 74% which is substantially higher than any previous top ten jackpot. If somebody wins the advertised $600 million they'll get almost $46 million more than the winner of PB's advertised jackpot of $687 million on October 2018.

At this point there's a decent (though still fairly small) chance we could see it roll to a billion or more. It might pass a billion if it rolls next Friday, but I suspect it needs  the following Wednesday too. If that happens we may be well past a billion, and depending on what the cash to annuity ratio does that could mean a new cash record. At the current 73.67% we'd see a new record at about $1.336 billion. As a rough guess, somewhere around $1.4 billion or so would give us a cash value over a full billion.

KY Floyd in re to your second paragraph, do you think record low mortgage rates and that like have a bearing on cash value??  IDK.

 

Want one of them to reach the 1 Billion mark so I can snap a picture of the fairly new KY LED billboards vs saying 999 million!

 

Waiting for the KLC to have an offer on MM like they did for Friday's drawing; buy $10 worth on-line or in store and get one free.   You can imagine my result but DID TRY!

OK Gang, what is MM going to creep up to by Tuesday...I'm wagering closer to $625 million.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Jan 9, 2021

KY Floyd in re to your second paragraph, do you think record low mortgage rates and that like have a bearing on cash value??  IDK.

 

Want one of them to reach the 1 Billion mark so I can snap a picture of the fairly new KY LED billboards vs saying 999 million!

 

Waiting for the KLC to have an offer on MM like they did for Friday's drawing; buy $10 worth on-line or in store and get one free.   You can imagine my result but DID TRY!

OK Gang, what is MM going to creep up to by Tuesday...I'm wagering closer to $625 million.

KLC just repeated the same offer on FB just now....time to play...maybe.

 

Am thinking of using the Covid-19 vaccine trial debit card to buy 16 draws of PB & MM with their appropriate multipliers.   Did not know one gets paid for it through J & J.   I think I got the real thing, not a placebo because felt awful the next day.    Unlike mRNA vaccines, this is one shot and you're done deal using the same technology as the Flu shot.

NY10

Only the cash value matters 

MsBee18

I got my tickets for Tuesday 

brees2012's avatarbrees2012

I am ready to win Powerball and Mega Millions!!!

Have a Solid Plan.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by KY Floyd on Jan 9, 2021

Those are numbers that plenty of people might choose or be happy with, but there's not getting around probability. There was only about a 1 in 5 chance of a winner, and probability did what it tends to do.

The cash to annuity ratio has been dropping lately, and I was disappointed to see that the $30 million bump in the advertised value for Friday night was  only about a $7 million increase in the cash value. Still the current cash value is almost 74% which is substantially higher than any previous top ten jackpot. If somebody wins the advertised $600 million they'll get almost $46 million more than the winner of PB's advertised jackpot of $687 million on October 2018.

At this point there's a decent (though still fairly small) chance we could see it roll to a billion or more. It might pass a billion if it rolls next Friday, but I suspect it needs  the following Wednesday too. If that happens we may be well past a billion, and depending on what the cash to annuity ratio does that could mean a new cash record. At the current 73.67% we'd see a new record at about $1.336 billion. As a rough guess, somewhere around $1.4 billion or so would give us a cash value over a full billion.

Calculating the cash value as a fraction of the annuity is like a dog chasing its tail.  It's the cash value that the lottery starts with, and then it calculates the annuity based on prevailing interest rates.  If you simply look at the increase in cash value and ignore the annuity you will have a much better sense of how fast the jackpot is growing.

LottoMetro's avatarLottoMetro

Will I purchase a ticket for the first time in a year?

db101's avatardb101

Quote: Originally posted by LottoMetro on Jan 9, 2021

Will I purchase a ticket for the first time in a year?

Will I?

db101's avatardb101

Quote: Originally posted by NY10 on Jan 9, 2021

Only the cash value matters 

Truth.

BBLL's avatarBBLL

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Jan 9, 2021

KY Floyd in re to your second paragraph, do you think record low mortgage rates and that like have a bearing on cash value??  IDK.

 

Want one of them to reach the 1 Billion mark so I can snap a picture of the fairly new KY LED billboards vs saying 999 million!

 

Waiting for the KLC to have an offer on MM like they did for Friday's drawing; buy $10 worth on-line or in store and get one free.   You can imagine my result but DID TRY!

OK Gang, what is MM going to creep up to by Tuesday...I'm wagering closer to $625 million.

$615 million

BBLL's avatarBBLL

Quote: Originally posted by brees2012 on Jan 9, 2021

I am ready to win Powerball and Mega Millions!!!

Have a Solid Plan.

Me too!!!!

Toronto

Give me both! I need both jackpots! No sharing either

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