One of the back-to-back winners claims the jackpot via trust
By Kate Northrop
One of the winners of two nearly identical Mega Millions jackpots won one week apart in Massachusetts has stepped forward to claim their prize.
A Wellesley-based trust has claimed a $33 million Mega Millions jackpot, the Massachusetts Lottery announced Wednesday.
The winner of the Mega Millions drawing on Tue., Jan. 24 was represented by David M. Lipshutz on behalf of the Skylark Group Trust, who showed up at Lottery headquarters in Dorchester to claim the cash option of the prize.
Prior to the drawing, the jackpot was estimated to be $31 million but grew to $33 million after actual sales from all participating lotteries were calculated.
The one-time lump sum payment came out to $17,441,861 before taxes.
This jackpot was one of two Mega Millions jackpots both estimated at $31 million won just one week apart. Lottery Post included the amazing concurrence of jackpot wins in a recent Weekly Roundup video. They are the largest prizes won in the state since the $758.7 million Powerball jackpot was won in August 2017. It is also the fifth time a Mega Millions jackpot was won in Massachusetts since 2002, when the game expanded and had its name changed from The Big Game to Mega Millions.
The winning numbers on the Quick Pick ticket for this $33 million prize were 33, 41, 47, 50, and 62, with Mega Ball 20. The Stop & Shop grocery store on George Hannum Street in Belchertown sold the winning ticket and received a $50,000 bonus.
The player who won the other $31 million Mega Millions jackpot a week prior in the Tue., Jan. 31 drawing remains unclaimed, the Lottery said. That ticket was sold at a Gibbs gas station on Winn Street in Woburn.
That winner has one year from the draw date to claim their prize at Lottery headquarters in Dorchester.
Prize amounts and odds for Mega Millions can be viewed on Lottery Post's Prizes and Odds page.
Currently, the Mega Millions jackpot stands at $188 million for the next drawing on Tue., March 7 at 11:00 pm EST. Tickets cost $2 each, and players generally have until 10:00 pm EST to purchase tickets, although ticket cutoff times vary by state.
Congrats to them. Glad they were able to claim it anonymously.
Two big winners in the same state, one week apart. That's astonishing! My state has had two big winners in the last 20 years.
Congrats to the lucky winners, enjoy.
Congrats to all members of the Skylark Group Trust. Enjoy your newly acquired wealth for many years to come.
Indeed. However, this is just the third jackpot prize ever in the state for MM since its introduction which is highly surprising. I thought there would a lot more winners considering Massachusetts is one of the top states for lottery players.
Only because they formed a trust which must have cost them money. You don't in Ma. and your name and picture is all over the website but no one seems to care anymore about lottery winners. There are too many of them these days.
If they claim via a trust their names and pictures won't be posted. I don't know what you're talking about. Only their attorneys names and photo gets posted. As far as winners not having issues, that's not true either. The last jackpot winner in Massachusetts that didn't claim via a trust ( Mavis is her name) was subjected to countless scams and harassment. Including online scams set up under her name.
I think I said if they don't form a trust your picture and name goes on the website. Since you know more than I do about this even though I hit the lottery twice and was never bothered how much does it cost to form a trust and is it worth it. I am guessing that it is quite pricey to do it.
If you claim via a trust only your attorney will be present to collect the prize and appear in press release. Forming a trust is not expensive and is available to anyone. Many regular families do have a trust of some sort. It certainly is worth for the privacy if anyone is fortunate and lucky enough to win.