Posted on 03/04/2019 6:18:39 PM PST by buckalfa
COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA) - Officials say the winner of the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot from October has claimed their prize.
The South Carolina Education Lottery Commission says the winner chose to remain anonymous and chose a one-time cash payout of $877,784,124.
This is the largest jackpot payout to a single winner in the history of the United States, according to the SC Education Lottery.
The winning ticket for the October 23, 2018 drawing was sold at the KC Mart in Simpsonville.
“We are delighted that the winner is a South Carolinian and has come forward to claim this remarkable prize," said SC Education Lottery Commission Executive Director Hogan Brown.
The winner retained Jason Kurland of Rivkin Radler of New York as legal representation and to act as a spokesperson, according to the lottery commission.
The winner says they bought the Quick Pick Mega Millions lottery ticket after allowing another customer in front of them in line at the store.
The state of South Carolina will get $61 million in income taxes from the winner.
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way. A huge lottery payout would be life-changing, and I like my life as it is. Instead, I'd rather have enough to finance WBill Jr's college and my retirement. Maybe have a little left over for some fun.
1.5 *billion* does buy a lot of patience for inconvenience, though. :-)
Of course it is! Just like the billionaire Robert Kraft hiring $50 hookers. Too funny.
I do remember a lottery winner who carried $400,000 in the trunk of his car as he visited strip clubs.
There are smaller lotteries with much better odds like Lotto America and Lucky for Life. How many people buy those and don’t add a Powerball when it gets to $350 million? Almost none.
Ask a clerk or manager at a place that sells lottery tickets.
If people really liked smaller amounts, the smaller lotteries would have much higher sales and much more frequent winners.
oh shit, didn’t know it was a possibility they wouldn’t get paid later, and didn’t take into account that they could invest the money or have it invested and get a similar or even better return.
Yes, hopefully so.
Yup. I remember that.
He wound up having some pretty serious problems with the law, didn't he?
Jack Whittaker. 2003. He was already a self-made millionaire when he won. He’s even got a wiki entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Whittaker_(lottery_winner)
Yes. SC’s top income tax bracket is 7%. And I would gladly pay that, especially if it comes with the option of remaining anonymous..
They ought to do away with that and get a sales tax which everybody pays!
Once had an Engineering Economics Professor tell us, “Almost no matter what, taking money NOW is better than promise of money later.”
On that note - some states, TN for one, REQUIRE that the name of the winner be made public. That would be very dangerous, I would think, in that if you got a really big jackpot, you’d have to worry about your family members getting kidnapped or threatened.
I wonder if you bought it in a “must tell” state, but cashed it in a “don’t have to tell” state, how that would work out?
Please see my post #70 - what do you think?
They don’t let you do that. You have to claim in the state where you purchased the ticket. I know because I worked for a state lottery for thirteen years. I wasn’t even allowed to buy tickets.
Yep. Thats how they catch the ones who steal winnings tickets from rightful owners/purchasers. They just caught that idiot roommate in California who stole is roommates $10 million ticket using store cameras.
The winner says they bought the Quick Pick Mega Millions lottery ticket after allowing another customer in front of them in line at the store.
Could be rubbing it in that somebody shoved in line.
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I didn’t think of that.
You are right.
Do you know if your state shares winner’s information with credit bureaus and court systems?
Minus Fed and State taxes, slightly under 1/2 billion, but too have those problems....sigh
That's Socialism, and we don't take kindly to Socialists around these parts.
That would be very dangerous, I would think, in that if you got a really big jackpot, you’d have to worry about your family members getting kidnapped or threatened.<<<<<<<<<<<<
Totally agree! I remember reading about and also watching some TV reports regarding how wrong things went for some of the big winners. Again, I would not want the hassle of trying to determine who has ulterior motives, don’t need or want an ostentatious home or lifestyle, and would never want my family endangered.
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