4 months later, mystery and rumors surround Mega Millions $1.5 billion jackpot

Comment #93

Artist77 — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:04:34 GMT

Lol. You would not post if you won. Just like me.

But seriously, the longer it is unclaimed, it will cause some loonies to insist they won or know who won. Sit back and watch.

Comment #92

Artist77 — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:00:28 GMT

When a big lottery jp win is unclaimed for a while, a lot of people will start insisting they won it or know who won. I would ignore such claims.

Comment #91

brees2012 — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 13:09:48 GMT

Wow that long ago , I remember reading that article .....

The spouse deserve to win , after all the woman , was married

to him , buying the ticket .

Many years ago , reading an article where a guy shared his winning

to his girlfriend . That was very thoughtful of him

Comment #90

brees2012 — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 13:02:08 GMT

I heard a group of people won it , why because I know of a person , who knows

one of the winner. I haven't heard anymore since that time .

Comment #89

TheMeatman2005 — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 07:05:22 GMT

Tuesday's (3/1/19)Mega Millions jackpot was won in NJ.

Let's see how long it takes until that one is claimed.

Congrats to the winner.

Comment #88

BadHombre1906 — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 04:38:24 GMT

Maybe he's an out of towner in an unhappy marriage and he's filing for divorce from his cheating wife and the thought of her and her new lover getting half of that cash is sickening.

Just a thought

Comment #87

JWBlue — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:10:27 GMT

I am beginning to believe the money will not be claimed. The amount of interest being lost is so much.

Comment #86

music* — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 17:13:11 GMT

Thank You all who have posted on this page #6. I appreciate your sense of humor. I got a good laugh from it. LottoLucy is a trouble maker! LOL

Comment #85

hearsetrax — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 12:14:24 GMT

jejeje

Comment #84

Saylorgirl — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 12:08:15 GMT

I think the husband and wife got into a huge argument on how they would spend the money, and one of them tore up the ticket

Comment #83

CDanaT — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 12:01:59 GMT

7 weeks and a wake-up.............................................................................tic toc

Comment #82

hearsetrax — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:39:31 GMT

jejeje I do love the smell of a valid conspiracy

but heres to hoping the winner/s come forward soon

Comment #81

LottoLucy — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 02:17:12 GMT

How is this for a new conspiracy. The real winner IS lurking here. He or she is now laughing about how they re going to set me up by turning in the ticket in the time frame I mentioned...

Comment #80

LottoLucy — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 02:14:21 GMT

Luckily no one took me seriously

Comment #79

LottoLucy — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 02:12:14 GMT

No annuity. When I do become a billionaire it will be cash all the way

Comment #78

LottoLucy — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 02:08:30 GMT

I m going to be so much trouble if the real winner turns in the ticket before the end of next week.

Comment #77

grwurston — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 01:55:30 GMT

Just when it was getting good...

Now we're gonna have to start another thread about it with all new conspiracy theories.

Comment #76

Coin Toss — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 01:06:05 GMT

LottoLucy,

I hope your post hasn't jammed your mailbox with I've got an idea how you can make some serious money messages

Comment #75

sully16 — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:12:41 GMT

I hope the ticket holder comes forward.

Comment #74

Artist77 — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 22:30:32 GMT

Lol. I knew it! The move was a cover story.

Comment #73

music* — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 21:15:08 GMT

good one! LottoLucy. Congratulations on becoming a billionaire. Will you be taking the Annuity

Comment #72

sailmumm — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 19:11:46 GMT

The Unclaimed Prize fund for AZ is sure gonna benefit from this if it is not claimed. State officials will put on the gloves to get some of the $.

Comment #71

LottoLucy — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 05:40:41 GMT

OK, you re on to me. It HAS been entertaining but I ll end the suspense and go turn in the ticket by the end of next week.

Comment #70

Coin Toss — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 04:57:36 GMT

Oh wow man

Comment #69

oate — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 01:27:13 GMT

They mistook it for rolling paper and smoked it.

Comment #68

Artist77 — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 01:22:02 GMT

Lol

Comment #67

Coin Toss — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 01:12:42 GMT

Let's throw this one around......

the winner knows exactly what they are doing, might be a lurker at LP, and just wanted to see how many kokamamie* theories people came up with before they cash the ticket.

* intentionally misspelled to get passed the censor

Comment #66

Big Joey — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 13:47:14 GMT

Karma got the best of the person.

Comment #65

TheMeatman2005 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 13:32:36 GMT

South Carolina is anxious for the winner of the Mega Millions $1,537,000,000 jackpot to come forward and claim their ticket so the state can collect on the windfall of taxes.

If he ticket holder(s) take a lump sum cash payout, they will receive $877,800,000 before taxes. The I.R.S. would take 24% or $210,672,000 off the top, with another 13% due on April 15, 2020. And, the State of South Carolina would receive their 7% tax of $61,446,000 which they have already figured into their budget.

F... [ More ]

Comment #64

Bleudog101 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 13:20:48 GMT

Your burden of proof is exactly what

Comment #63

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 13:09:35 GMT

All you gotta do is prove it.

Comment #62

CDanaT — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:54:11 GMT

Guess the legislators and budget people are in on it as well or is the Lottery director staff superior to the elected officials they report to ? Maybe the governor is in on it ?

We're starting to get nervous about whether that $61 million is realistic, Frank Rainwater, director of the state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, told legislators during a briefing on state revenue estimates Tuesday.

Comment #61

Lottotree12 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 07:34:25 GMT

There never was a winner.once again,the lottery has lied

Comment #60

Tucker Black — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 07:28:01 GMT

I think the ticket has been lost.

Comment #59

noise-gate — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:54:46 GMT

Your 2nd paragraph reminded me of the movie Shooter. In particular- Bob Lee Swagger. Grows shoots his own food.

Comment #58

noise-gate — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:46:08 GMT

Perhaps you right Stack. However if that were true, does the SC lottery have an obligation to tell the State politicians not to sweat it, because the millions of dollars they are salivating over, will come through for them in the nick of time

Comment #57

noise-gate — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:41:10 GMT

If they bought their tickets through a subscription.Then maybe.

Comment #56

Stack47 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:13:59 GMT

You really ought to look at the definition of blind trust because that's usually for politicians after winning an election to avoid a conflict of interest.

Comment #55

grwurston — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:11:28 GMT

There's always the chance the winner heard the stories about all the bad things that have happened to big winners and decided it isn't worth it. So he trashed the ticket.

Also there's always the chance the winner could be someone who is living off the grid for whatever reason and doesn't want or need any publicity or attention. Witness protection, whistle blower, covert operations, under cover informant etc., and has reason to fear for his life.

Comment #54

Coin Toss — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 04:31:00 GMT

Why?

South Carolina lets winners claim anonymously.

Comment #53

dannyct — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 04:28:26 GMT

They will probably claim through a blind trust.

Comment #52

Coin Toss — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 04:28:24 GMT

That's the one gy65! Thanks for posting!

Then when he got back to the store where they all hung out he was telling them all about the spaceship and they just knew it was another tall tale.

Comment #51

Stack47 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 02:57:25 GMT

Everybody is missing door number three , which is simply calling lottery headquarters, confirm you're holding the winning ticket, and say you'll validate the ticket when you're ready. And the fact lottery winners in South Carolina can claim anonymously makes getting personal affairs in order pretty much irrelevant considering the size of this jackpot.

Way back in the day it was uncommon for the Ohio Lotto to have a solo winner and some of the jackpots were split by ten or more winners. After... [ More ]

Comment #50

gy65 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 02:37:29 GMT

Comment #49

Artist77 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 01:16:21 GMT

Exactly Coin Toss. I was thinking of that story. Because of his tall tales, they thought he was the most important person on earth.

Comment #48

Coin Toss — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 01:12:26 GMT

Artist,

Was it Andy Devine from the Twilight Zone, the episode where he was quite a teller of tall tales?

Remember, he got abducted, then started plating a harmonica, the aliens couldn't stand it and he got away.........

Comment #47

Artist77 — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 00:18:13 GMT

The more plausible version is that the aliens threw back the small fish and the ticket flew into the air and was incinerated in the space ship departure fumes. The man has been hiding out since then to come up with a good story since he was the first alien throwback in 40 years.

Comment #46

noise-gate — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 18:08:17 GMT

l understand what you saying, completely. But as a winner,l want to make the choice as to whether l can come forward early or not. I guess my response is based on an incident that happened in my fair city back in 2012. A MM jackpot winner had his face plastered on TV after just 45 days, why? Because the CA lottery felt that the winner was taking too long to come forward claim the prize.

In this case, the State seems to be pushing the winner to come forward, because they need those funds to b... [ More ]

Comment #45

TheMeatman2005 — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 17:49:43 GMT

Yes, it is better to have 365 days as opposed to 180 to claim a draw prize, but why wait that long?

In this case, where the prize was won on Oct 23, 2018, I would have claimed on Jan 2, 2019. That would have been enough time to get together with a financial team and lawyer. It would have obvious tax advantages to claim in 2019 instead of at the end of 2018.

Think about all the interest that is being lost every day by not having that money invested. It comes to over $1 mil every month that

Comment #44

noise-gate — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 16:15:12 GMT

l kinda like the idea of having 365 days to collect on your jackpot win, as apposed to 180 days. What l don't like, is being hurried into coming forward to claim,regardless of the time frame. It could be likened to a person standing at a bus stop, the bus shows up , but the person waves it on, only to have the driver stop say l am here, ready for you to board, but the passenger insists they waiting for the next bus.Does the driver get it or insist that this passenger must board the bus

Comment #43

TheMeatman2005 — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 16:15:04 GMT

In SC, you may be able to remain anonymous if you win the lottery, but you still must disclose the asset of the win if divorcing.

South Carolina Marital Property Laws

When a couple divorces, any assets or property acquired during the marriage have to be divided. States do this in two main ways, community property and equitable distribution. South Carolina s marital property laws are, like the majority of states, equitable distribution laws.

Spouses in South Carolina have a right to all... [ More ]

Comment #42

JoeBigLotto — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 15:40:53 GMT

This maybe different south Carolina now makes it possible to hide your identity. If he is willing to hide this far what makes you think he will disclose tommorrow. And besides no law says you must tell your wife you won the lottery lol

Comment #41

TheMeatman2005 — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 15:35:44 GMT

In 1999, a California woman, Denise Rossi, won $1.3 mil in the lottery and quickly filed for divorce from her husband of 25 years.

After the divorce, he found out that she had won before she filed and sued her.

Just 11 days before she filed for divorce--Denise Rossi won $1.3 million in the California Lottery.

She told no one in her divorce case, and eventually her secret caught up with her. A Los Angeles family court judge ruled that she had violated state asset disclosure laws and awar... [ More ]

Comment #40

jackpotismine — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:37:33 GMT

It's quite possible. Money brings out the worse in people at times.

Comment #39

JoeBigLotto — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:35:13 GMT

I have my theory maybe his wife doesn't know he won so now he is secretly trying to complete his divorce process beside the state will help him stay anonymous. For now he is chilling with his mistresses lol ?? The last time i checked she is still looking for his A...

Comment #38

JoeBigLotto — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:29:57 GMT

I have my theory maybe his wife doesn't know he won so now he is secretly trying to complete his divorce process beside the state will help him stay anonymous. For now he is chilling with his mistresses lol ?? This has happened before in florida so it won't be the first time the guy even disconnected his home cable tv am not sure if his wife found him yet in miramar florida

Comment #37

KY Floyd — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:36:53 GMT

I would assume that since by Monday the ticket will be 181 days past the drawing date and become worthless.

The rules say the ticket can be can be redeemed up to 180 days after the draw date printed on the ticket. If it has to be claimed on Friday the 18th because the lottery office isn't open on Saturday the 19th or Sunday the 20th then the winner doesn't have the 180 days that the rules allow to claim the prize. Keeping the office open is a waste if they don't know somebody is planning on... [ More ]

Comment #36

Cassie8620 — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 06:15:35 GMT

I'm knowing many who are not that way, thank the lord, where the mind is still in tact perfectly etc.,(with the occasionally forgetting where keys are or somethin'),

but i hear ya, and i just hope he realize it he is a winner or she.

i am sad to see no 1 still has not claim it, so sad, i pray some 1 soon. smh.

night all @ lp.

g-night.

Comment #35

duckman — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:17:01 GMT

LOL ... John Titor, that's a name I have not heard in a while. Last time I heard him was back in the Art Bell radio days.

Comment #34

Coin Toss — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 04:57:41 GMT

You're killing me Smalls oate

Comment #33

oate — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 01:26:42 GMT

One night a few weeks after buying the winning ticket, this religious man decided to take a walk through a field to clear his head and figure out what to do. As he was walking, with the ticket in his left jeans pocket, an alien spacecraft appeared and beamed him up. Aboard the ship, several large-breasted alien females commanded him to undress so they could thoroughly examine him, for, uh, science. He undressed so quickly that the ticket fell out and slid under the examination table when he wasn... [ More ]

Comment #32

Artist77 — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:46:14 GMT

That is very far fetched and you have a bether chance to win pb or mm than that scenario being plausible. I always am amazed with the religious critiques. If someone believes that gambling is immoral, that is their right. But the concept of uber religious Christians giving all their money to a leader, is rare and does not apply to 99.9% of Christian affiliated churches. Perhaps you are thinking of cults.

I don't consider myself entitled to even a sliver of it.

Comment #31

OldSchoolPa — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 23:52:33 GMT

I hope to win Powerball on the 20th of April. If I should win on 4/20, I will promptly fly to Africa via Amsterdam and celebrate! I cannot say how I will celebrate, but just know that I will be having a blast!

So let Powerball continue to roll for the rest of February, March and up to that date in April. Let the good times roll!

Me: Yes, by all means, roll on good times

Comment #30

noise-gate — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 23:48:48 GMT

What if that winning ticket was picked up by a pandhandler, who stashed it along with all the other stuff, in a shopping cart, that they constantly wheel around the city? I have yet to see anyone approach a pandhandler to ask what have you got there

Comment #29

js1237 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 22:54:29 GMT

I still believe that the Huge Jackpot Prize will be claimed before it expires.

Comment #28

hearsetrax — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 22:37:30 GMT

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

Comment #27

OldSchoolPa — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 20:55:25 GMT

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... [ More ]

Comment #26

Lottomeister — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 20:06:53 GMT

It was Bill Gates who won. Said he doesn't need the money.

Comment #25

Ricklou — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 19:59:27 GMT

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

Comment #24

TheMeatman2005 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 19:46:43 GMT

No one knows. Only the shadow knows! And maybe that proverbial fly on the wall.

Time will tell. tick...tick....tick....tick...

Comment #23

gy65 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:19:34 GMT

Associated Press . . Unclaimed $1.5B jackpot mystery: Winner died? Ticket lost

Comment #22

TheMeatman2005 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:00:24 GMT

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... [ More ]

Comment #21

CDanaT — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 17:17:20 GMT

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

Comment #20

Raven62 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 17:02:34 GMT

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

Comment #19

Artist77 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 16:28:40 GMT

In terms of counting days, it is all days, not just business days M-F, I assume

Comment #18

TheMeatman2005 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 16:25:02 GMT

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 clai... [ More ]

Comment #17

ecnirP — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 15:58:09 GMT

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 s... [ More ]

Comment #16

Artist77 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 15:49:45 GMT

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.

Comment #15

EnReval — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 15:30:38 GMT

I agree and by 4/21, perhaps the MM or PB will be back at $1billion.

Comment #14

welington — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 12:14:44 GMT

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

Comment #13

hearsetrax — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 10:51:49 GMT

we'll find out sooner or later and the results will probably be any one of the infinite lame excuses

Comment #12

Raven62 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 10:27:55 GMT

All is not lost until the 180 day claiming deadline has past! (4/21/2019 Easter Sunday

Comment #11

KY Floyd — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 08:34:13 GMT

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 wor... [ More ]

Comment #10

js1237 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 07:22:02 GMT

In New York the Mega is valid for up to one year, which should be the law for ALL STATES.

Comment #9

Coin Toss — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 05:55:42 GMT

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

Comment #8

Six balls — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 05:38:10 GMT

I'm still going with the dog ate it.

Comment #7

jackpotismine — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 05:12:23 GMT

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.

Comment #6

music* — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 04:48:47 GMT

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

Comment #5

s5thomps — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 04:43:59 GMT

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... [ More ]

Comment #4

Stack47 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 04:39:27 GMT

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.

Comment #3

CDanaT — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 02:34:53 GMT

I'm going with the LoL theory... Landfill or Lost

Comment #2

alv1865 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 02:08:26 GMT

My theory, someone bought it and did not want that ticket so store took it back and gave them the ticket they wanted.

Comment #1

Bleudog101 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 01:30:49 GMT

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...

4 months later, mystery and rumors surround Mega Millions $1.5 billion jackpot

Lottery Post — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 01:16:09 GMT

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, myster... [ More ]