Mystery winner quietly takes on multigenerational wealth
By Kate Northrop
The lottery player who won the $803 million Mega Millions jackpot in Florida in July has claimed the prize quietly, but we still won't know their identity for some time.
The Florida Lottery has paid out the winner of the $803 million Mega Millions jackpot without fanfare, meaning one lucky player from Florida is now set for life with a fount of multigenerational wealth.
According to online records, the Florida Lottery has awarded the jackpot winner a cash option of $345.5 million for the drawing that occurred on July 28. There was no official press release issued by the Lottery about the jackpot payout, only the initial announcement that the winning ticket was sold in Florida the day after the draw.
It may have to do with the fact that Florida state law does not allow the release of the winner's identifying information for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed. That puts the expiration date for the temporary anonymity period roughly in November.
The online report instead says "Exempt pursuant to F.S. 24. 1051" in lieu of a name, trust, or LLC.
However, we do know that the player's winning ticket was a Quick Pick, holding numbers 38, 48, 49, 59, and 70, with gold Mega Ball 12.
"We are thrilled to congratulate Florida's newest Mega Millions jackpot winner on this incredible, life-changing moment," Lottery Secretary Reginald Dixon announced the day after the win. "This win is an exciting reminder that every ticket carries the possibility of a dream come true. We are especially grateful to our valued Florida Lottery players, whose continued support helps generate funding for education across our state. Every ticket purchased contributes to creating brighter futures for Florida's students."
According to USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis, the winner will receive about $217.7 million after all taxes are paid. Florida does not impose a state tax on lottery winnings.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Wawa convenience store on State Road 70 East in Bradenton, about a half-hour drive from Sarasota. It was the only ticket to win the Mega Millions jackpot on July 28.
The Mega Millions jackpot stands at $177 million for the next drawing on Friday, Sept. 4 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $5 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Whoever the winner is, is set for life. Probably sitting somewhere grinning from cheek to cheek. No more money worries for a long time. Congrats are in order.
What is this freaking obsession with needing to know who won? Everyone should mind their own business.
I think some transparency is needed otherwise you could have Eddie Tiptons claiming jackpots off rigging the lottery and we'd never know it.
Agree - These people are constantly harassed endlessly for the rest of their lives. Let them be in peace. The lottery systems have more than enough checks and balances internally with audits to maintain the integrity of the game.
I'm guessing the winner will stay anonymous after contacting a lawyer and setting up a trust and or LLC... They may end up releasing the name of the lawyer. That's why they are now saying NOT to sign the ticket, so it's not claimed under your name. I believe there are a few exceptions, like in California it is not allowed.
We wouldn't have known about Tipton if the lottery hadn't told us. There are other ways to ensure real people are winning without releasing names.
I am trying to make sure I am understanding your "transparency" request. You are asking for more than a "live drawing of PING PONG balls" and more than a computer generated "quick pick" on this win or future wins ?? What exactly are you gaining in transparency by plastering someones name and county/city that they are from ?
Convicted Criminal Tipton manipulated an RNG system. Not ping pong balls. It's going to have to take some serious amount of insider manipulation to alter ping pong balls in a machine.....And as we all know, people can't keep their mouths shut today to pull of that kind of heist.
What level of transparency do you suggest it be taken to ?? Independent audit of every draw ?? Audit of the auditors/inspectors ? Audit the auditors partners of the chosen accounting firm or investigating team ?? Audit of the director of the lottery and entire staff where the ping pong balls are kept ? Audit of the manufacturer of the ping pong balls and the ink manufacturer. Audit of the business that transfered the ping balls from the manufacturer to the lottery site? Maybe find out the bank the money was wired to or what financial institution a check was deposited in, just to make it's not an insider job ?
While I take this "transparency" request to the extreme, I will have to respectively disagree that any 18 - 110 year old, walking into a store/ ordering on line and getting a quick pick from a machine, that they have no control over, will match ping pong balls generated later that evening, needs to be published for all to see. The world needing to know the persons name and general location doesn't provide transparency. What transparency does provide and allows for, is deceitful people an opportunity to conduct their business against winners or have nosey politicians to publish your name on a list, someplace.
Allow the winner to step into the spot light and announce their " Look at me" moment, if they want.
Transparency on the system to insure integrity and fairness ?? Absolutely
The publics' need/want to know, should never outweigh the right to a lottery winners privacy and personal safety.
Who in the world is giving such bad advice, telling a winner NOT to sign a ticket??
That all depends on what they do after the win.
I wish them the best of luck in everything 🙏
Nikkicute, Read what Jackpot777 said about not signing the ticket again.
Eddie messed up when he bought the ticket himself and it led to him being caught. If he had had someone else buy it we might still not know what he was doing.
l think the winner is already a rich person that probably doesn't need the money 💰 because that part of Florida is flooded by rich people like Late Jack Whitaker . And that part of Florida has lots and lots of millionaires and billionaires that even if someone buys a $10,000,000 home 🏠 tomorrow he won't be suspected of winning the lottery unless he is Black or Latino and not Tiger Woods 🐯 lol 😝
The winner will remain temporarily anonymous for only 90 days because they used Florida Statute 1024.51 to claim the 345 million they actually won. (They took the lump sum option). After 90 days has passed, The Florida Lottery will release the name of the winner. Statute 1024.51 is designed to give a big winner a 90 day head start on disappearing and that's all it does.
Because the winner has already claimed the prize using their own name, (but it's hidden for 90 days) they still could hire a lawyer to set up an LLC or a revocable living trust, but due to the fact that The Florida Lottery is going to release the winners name after 90 days, it makes no sense to try to use a trust or LLC to hide their identity. The damage has already been done. G5
The various state anonymity rules are pinned to the top of the jackpot forum.