Biggest jackpot in 9 months closes in on a billion dollars
By Todd Northrop
Nine months after Mega Millions delivered a $1.13 billion jackpot to one ticket sold in New Jersey, the multi-state lottery game is back with a jackpot to be drawn Tuesday that is also nearing the $1 billion mark.
When nobody won Friday night's $862 million grand prize, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $944 million — the largest since a March 26, 2024 $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won by one ticket sold in New Jersey. That jackpot remains unclaimed by the winner, who has another three months to claim the prize.
The next Mega Millions drawing is on Tuesday night at 11:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 pm Pacific).
Tuesday's $944 million Mega Millions jackpot is the 7th-largest in the game's history, and the 12th-largest United States lottery jackpot of all time (see full list below).
The lump-sum cash value of $429.4 million is the 18th-largest on the all-time US lottery jackpot cash value list.
The current jackpot run-up started on September 13 as a $20 million grand prize. It is 3 months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner, when an $800 million jackpot was won by one ticket sold in Texas — the biggest prize ever won in the state. In October, the jackpot was claimed by an anonymous trust formed in Sugar Land.
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 may propel the jackpot to an even higher amount before the drawing takes place Tuesday. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot tallies displayed if such an increase occurs.
In Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Arkansas, 1 from Illinois, 2 from Indiana, and 1 from Pennsylvania.
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 doubled to $2 million, as the Megaplier number drawn was 2.
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. 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 and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.
Also, a total of 48 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 13 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $6,199.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, December 20, 2024, were 2, 20, 51, 56, and 67, with Mega Ball number 19. The Megaplier number was 2.
The complete payout information and official drawing video for Friday's drawing can be found at USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Information page, as well as on the Mega Millions Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post.
Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $82 million from its previous amount of $862 million. The cash value was raised by $37.3 million from its previous amount of $392.1 million.
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.
Players looking for the nearest official lottery retailer — or maybe just a different store without such a long line — are urged to use the free Lottery Places app available for iOS, Android, and Windows. The app can find lottery stores in every Mega Millions state and can search across state lines — something even official state lotteries can't do.
Some states offer direct online sales, allowing players to bypass the store and purchase tickets from home. Players can see if they can play Mega Millions online by tapping the link. Depending on the physical location of the person, the link will either provide access via a licensed butler service or the official state lottery itself.
Butler services provide scanned copies of the purchased lottery tickets securely held on behalf of the customer. In the past, such lottery ticket services were used by people out side the USA to win big jackpots in Oregon and Florida.
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, Powerball and Mega Millions.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 12th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States, and the 7th-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever.
If nobody wins Tuesday, the next drawing will be greater than $1 billion.
- Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Powerball: $1.7649 billion, Oct. 11, 2023 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
- Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
- Powerball: $1.3259 billion, Apr. 6, 2024 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Oregon
- Mega Millions: $1.128 billion, Mar. 26, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
- Mega Millions: $944 million, Dec. 24, 2024 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Initial estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $842.4 million, Jan. 1, 2024 (34 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
- Mega Millions: $800 million, Sep. 10, 2024 (27 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Texas
- Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
- Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
- Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $632.6 million, Jan 5, 2022 (39 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California, Wisconsin
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
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 18th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Powerball: $997.6 million cash, Nov. 7, 2022 ($2.0401 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $794.2 million cash, Aug. 8, 2023 ($1.602 billion annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $774.1 million cash, Oct. 11, 2023 ($1.7649 billion annuity) - California
- Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
- Powerball: $621 million cash, Apr. 6, 2024 ($1.3259 billion annuity) - Oregon
- Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
- Mega Millions: $536.6 million cash, Mar. 26, 2024 ($1.128 billion annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
- Mega Millions: $429.4 million cash, Dec. 24, 2024 ($944 million annuity) - Initial estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $425.2 million cash, Jan. 1, 2024 ($842.4 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
- Mega Millions: $404.2 million cash, Sep. 10, 2024 ($800 million annuity) - Texas
- Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
- 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
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 15
- Mega Millions: 10
Thanks again for posting the standings.
Perhaps PB will be won and maybe more folks will migrate to MM to bump it up faster. Two chances for that to happen prior to Tuesday.
In any case I think it'll go up before Tuesday night's drawing, right in time for Christmas.
My goodness... imagine winning it on Christmas eve (be it solo or shared)... best Christmas gift ever!!!
Whoever wins it hopefully won't end up like Jack Whittaker who won it on Christmas day and... you already know what happened.
Stocking stuffers galore, coming up !!!
Yea but he flaunted his and sad what happened to granddaughter
However l am looking at my Calendar and l have my own Crystal Ball 🔮 prediction maybe I be right or wrong but l have to say my mind anyway. I think this Jackpot will be won on New Year's Eve Tuesday December 31st . And l also think The Jackpot will Set a New record of $2.1 to $2.4 Billion dollars 🧑🎄. This is on track to make history and the Biggest Jackpot the world has ever seen. And if we are not careful it could reach $3.2 Billion dollars.
The best part Mega million will have no Draw Glitches unlike Power Ball lol
It will grow over $1 billion before Tuesday Night then $1.5 Billion by Friday then $2.4 billion by New Year's Eve 😻😇 Perfect Storm ⛈️ is already forming .
I am excited for the $5 tkt because it takes 3 months to hit a billion
when it chnges it may take just 2 months
what will the jkpot start at in April?
Am I mistaken for saying it is back to the old $40 million? With that ticket price it should start @ $100 million!
If I win on Tuesday Night, I know how I will, at least, guard my JP winning ticket from Mr. Claus:
Haha EnR..... Starting back at $40M
Do you remember when we were sold that line of Jargon ?? It started on 10/31/2017(1st $40M restart) https://www.megamillions.com/News/2017/Mega-Millions-enhanced-Starting-jackpots-increase.aspx
.....That lasted until 6/12/20 when the $20M restart kicked in due to Covid https://www.megamillions.com/News/2020/Mega-Millions-to-Adjust-Starting-Jackpot-Amount,-E.aspx
Has yet to ever restart at $40M in over 4 1/2 years https://www.texaslottery.com/export/sites/lottery/Games/Mega_Millions/Winning_Numbers/index.html_1606735145.html
It will never go back to $40 Million on a restart.
Lets hope we're on the nice list
They never did post starting jkpot for the change
Can you imagine how the $2.04 E.Castro feeling of winning that amnt of money at such a young age
how does one feel winning this amnt of $$$$$$$
Imagine if it gets bumped up to $1 billion (£795,766,500) on Christmas Eve.
Good luck to everyone and happy holidays
I hate that they did that!
They never returned it to $40M starting jackpot...
and now they are going to introduce $5 cost per ticket /line🫤
I do believe the starting jackpot is $50M...
Goodbye 1995 Honda Accurd. Hello 2025 Toyota Supra.
Yes please. BTW, I will take an additional one in black as well
Where would you drive it to. You can't park it anywhere without worrying about it all the time you were at wherever you drove it.
The euphoria quickly wears off and you are beset with host of new problems you never thought you would have.
I-40...With a hundred million+ in the bank......Really not concerned over a $300K car. Thats why you get 2
you drive it to your rich friends' houses. then you look at each other's fancy cars and have a boring chat about car stuff. try to use your imagination, brah.
Can only imagine telling 5 siblings max for a house is $450k and a car for $25k, u pay insurance bcuz still at working age
they wld hate me forever
people wld have such attitudes towards you
thats why no one won it all setup for only one winner
His mistake was he thought because he had all that money he could do whatever he wanted but found out the hard way that was not true.
No matter how much you have, you need to keep your feet on the ground.
Do you realize how many liverwurst sandwiches with Swiss cheese lettuce tomato red onion Dijon mustard on rye you could make for $944 million?
Ques: Would you rather live like you do now or would you rather win $944 mil if it meant that you had to live the rest of your life in a nudist colony that was populated mostly with aged and obese people?
I've seen high end cars in Walmart parking lots. With all the cameras everywhere it's probably not as unsafe as you think.
Just in time for Christmas or the New Year!!!!
Excited to see this jackpot hit to 1 billion or more by Christmas Evening. Best of luck to all that play on this game and drawing! I would still keep life simple and semi retire but donate to worthy causes in and around my community. Pay off all debt and keep my current vehicles maybe splurge on a travel trailer to visit across the country with my partner and our animals!
Would u. Really buy a 5 Porsches like the bil$ winner?
Thatz living the life at $250k each
I would spend 2 months in 3 different several places I want to visit:
Vancouver, Monaco and Montreal
Mann this dreaming is addictive
I want my life to not change meaning, don't call me more than u do now
no sibling arguments, not giving to your businesses, nieces n nephews, WE not rich
pay for you to learn a trade
Someone's going to have a super duper extra holly jolly Christmas!
Would you rather win the mm Christmas Eve if doing so Christmas and new years and independence day were eliminated forever for the entire USA?
Would you rather win mm Christmas Eve if doing so you had only two weeks till you meet your maker?
Would you rather win mm Christmas Eve if it meant you had to announce it to the whole world?
Would you rather win the mm Christmas Eve if by winning you would be required to sit through Its A Wonderful Life once every evening for the whole year?
Somé questions to reflect on before you go out and buy tickets .
Buying 5 Porshes would have to depend on year,model and amount produced.
1 or maybe 2 residences for this future winner....Rent the high end places for the long visits...
Should I win Tuesday ... I'm giving all of you .... posters a break ..... And I will keep my liverwurst sandwiches to myself ..... Heqq I've tried to entice you all with my delectable recipe to no avail.
Speaking of liverwurst ..... Have anybody here ever tried oliveloaf?
She's a beauty, but I drive like a turtle so I'll stick with ...... okay I'll get one, but I'll still drive like a turtle.
Good luck everybody and Merry Christmas.
Hi folks I hope ya'll having a blessed Advent season and that y'all enjoy Christmas (all 12 days) and may 2025 be a lucky year for us all.
Good health to everyone ... And good cheer too!
P.U.: Did someone step in the doggie doo!?
That is so true - it's waiting for me - if no one wants it, I will gladly take it. Thanks in advance
MegaMillions on Christmas Eve and Powerball on Christmas Day, two chances to have a great Christmas.
My state doesn't do state draws on Christmas day so on Wednesday there is no Louisiana Lotto, Easy 5, Pick 3, Pick 4, or Pick 5. That was written into state lottery law when it started.
Ohhhh...there are places for such nice things...
You could buy property in locations like Malibu, Coto de Caza, Bel Air or Newport Beach (all in Southern Ca) where cars like that are the norm.....
You would do your grocery shopping at Gelson's and park next to any Lamborghinis or Corvettes that are seen there on a regular basis. High-end shopping malls have the same energy and your car would not be out of place...
Eating pizza with anchovies ...
In a room full of cats ..
Litterbox ...
Tootsie Rolls .... P.U.!!!!!
$944,000,000
Christmas Eve
Mega millions
"It will grow over $1 billion before Tuesday Night"
Possible, but it's a fairly big jump unless interest rates go up. Then we might see a $56 million bump in the advertised price but the real jackpot will go up by $10 or $15 million. Maybe people dreaming about a green Christmas will do it even without a bump in interest rates, but that requires a bump 2.5 times as big as the cash bump that got it from 825 to $862 million.
"then $1.5 Billion by Friday "
Maybe in your dreams. The last time we saw a MM roll past $1 billion (August '23) it took two rolls to get from 1.1 to 1.58 billion. Last April PB went from $1.09 to $1.325 billion in one roll, and in October '23 it went 1.2 > 1.4 > 1.55 billion. 1.5 billion on Tuesday the 31st is a decent possibility but I think it would come up well short of that.
"if it meant that you had to live the rest of your life in a nudist colony that was populated mostly with aged and obese people? "
What's the problem? I could buy my sunscreen by the case. And I'd still be able to go on vacation, right?
Ain't as much as ya think after taxes.
Are you seriously complaining about $250M after taxes? At $3M a year it takes you 80+ years to spend it all with zero investing. You sound like that $395M guy trying to steal the other half.
Are ppl really that greedy or just don't understand the kind of money it actually is? It's the kind of money that takes most ppl a few lifetimes....combined.
You do know that the elite is not going to be accepting of a lottery winner?
Wow, you are the only one who has said he/she is excited about the new 5$ MM ticket price. Most of us have been saying we will no longer buy MM tickets. We will stick with the PB tickets instead. Officials for the PB say they will not raise their ticket prices to $5 because PB drawings are already 3 times a week. According to what I read, once the new $5 MM ticket price starts in April 2025, the jackpot will start at 50 million.
Most of us don't care about the taxes, at the end of the day it is STILL more money than we have now. As for me, I would be just grateful for the win.
I agree with you 100%. This win after taxes is more than what I have now. I would be just grateful for win. The greed of some people is sad.
I agree. I rarely play and am financially set but I am grateful if I win a few dollars.
I hv 1 set been playing for 26 yrs but the main ball is 25 and will have to chnge to probably 12 or quick pik the ball
so going fr $4 a week to $10
I personally know of one and he does very well with the "elite".
Many lottery winners use the money to create generational wealth, real estate holdings and philanthropy. The lifestyle and mindset completely changed for the better.
Sure if he is buying his way into things like Cynthia Stafford.
The fact that he brags he does "very well" vs he fits in is kind of telling.
Are you saying you actually know a major jp winner?
Does it. You want to become a philanthropist. You phone will never stop ringing and your life will be nothing but distractions by people trying to get you to philanthropize them. These huge jackpots should never happen because the matrixes of the games should be shortened so more people could win. 10 million dollars is more than enough for anyone. Way more than enough.
No bragging at all....
It is my observation that I am sharing.
The family is very nice....that didn't change.
There are organization that will manage your philanthropic interest (charities that you are interested in).
You donate anonymously.
Any other request from the public are managed by lawyers, not you and gated communities exist for a reason.
I recommend reading "Sudden Money" by Susan Bradley and
"Sudden Wealth Solutions" by Robert Pagliarini
"People believe one of two things: Money will be the solution to all my problems, or Money will be the source of all my problems". This dichotomous and extreme view of money is unhealthy. It affords too much power to money while disempowering the individual. Those who view money as their savior sit back and expect happiness to happen, but happiness doesn't just happen. You have to know what makes you tick and what you value. Happiness takes work. Those who view money as a problem don't make the most of their sudden wealth. Their fear of money prevents them from creating a better life." ~ Robert Paliarini
Suze Orman was on one of those talk shows several years ago. She said when folks call her for $$$ (friends/relatives) they are screened through her Attorney who automatically says NO!!
Just the Jackpot was played, reserved only for big jackpots. $4 won Friday night which went to a losing PB with PP & DP Saturday.
In 2010 undocumented immigrant Jose Antonia Cua-Toc purchased a winning lottery ticket in Georgia. The ticket was worth $750,000, but due to Cua-Toc’s undocumented status he was concerned about claiming his winnings in fear that he would be deported back to Guatemala if found out or that he would not even be able to claim the winnings. To avoid deportation, Cua-Toc gave the winning lottery ticket to his boss Erick Cervantes under the agreement that Cervantes would pick up the money for him. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) this plan backfired on Cua-Toc and Cervantes claimed the money for himself, saying that Cua-Toc had merely purchased the ticket for his friend. Luckily, in 2012 courts ruled in Cua-Toc’s favor after viewing surveillance camera footage of the ticket’s purchase.
So if you win the lottery, remember to claim the ticket winnings yourself and consider investing in a lawyer! You’ll have the funds, after all.
Some people are in it to win it when it comes to winning the lottery, buying tickets every week for years. This was the case for Etta May Urquhart who put her money into the California lottery for 18 years. Similar to the case of Cua-Toc’s mistake of giving the ticket away, Urquhart was so excited about finally winning $15 million that she gave the ticket to her son Ronny Orender to sign the ticket and claim the jackpot on her behalf. Urquhart’s son took the ticket and claimed the money for himself. Urquhart successfully took her son to court and sued him for fraud and abuse for his theft of her winnings.
Again, there’s never a good person to trust with your lottery winnings: not even family.
2002 was a big year for lottery winners to make catastrophic mistakes with their jackpots. Jack Whittaker of West Virginia was the winner of $315 from the Powerball lottery, and in a similarly destructive manner as Britain’s Carroll’s demolition derbies; Whittaker lost much of his money at strip clubs. Whittaker was already a wealthy man before winning the lottery, and while it’s not exactly rare to find the rich dropping big bucks at strip clubs Whittaker was having an especially frivolous time with the strippers—which proved to be a risky mistake on his part. About a year after winning the Powerball Whittaker was at a strip club in West Virginia carrying a suitcase of $545,000 “because he could”. Stupidly, Whittaker left the suitcase of cash in his car and thieves broke in to steal it. In a similar incident, the managers of a strip club were charged with attempting to drug Whittaker and steal his suitcase of money.
One of the mistakes in this article has been that you can’t trust those closest to you—which was also the case for William “Bud” Post III who won $16.2 in 1998. His brother tried to hire a hitman to murder both Post and his wife so that he could take the winnings for himself. This assassination attempt didn’t succeed, but Post continued to have a difficult life until he died in 2006. Before his death he ended up declaring bankruptcy, he was forced to give $5 million to his landlady, and he invested in a business that flopped.
While his brother went to jail and did not succeed in killing Post for his money, that doesn’t mean that the rest of Post’s life was smooth sailing. After all, as we’ve seen from these unfortunate fortune winners, winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee an easy life.
Do you really want to be accepted by "the elite"?
What do they have that you would want?
I'm not saying $270M isn't a lot of money, it is, but when you consider that after taxes it's only 28.6% of the advertised jackpot it's not so much compared to the $944M people were playing for. Personally I think lottery winnings should be tax free.