A life-altering payday is on the horizon for a fortunate New Jersey Lottery winner who has recently stepped forward to claim a monumental $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot. This remarkable windfall, which has been unclaimed for nearly nine months since the ticket was drawn, ranks as the fifth-highest prize in the game's nearly three-decade history, as per a New Jersey Lottery press release.
The winning ticket was selected on March 26 at a ShopRite supermarket located in the coastal township of Neptune. Opting for a cash prize, the lucky winner is set to receive $537.5 million before deductions for federal and state taxes, according to lottery officials.
Choosing to maintain their privacy, the winner has elected to remain anonymous, a decision made possible by a 2020 law that permits lottery winners to keep their identities concealed in public records indefinitely. It is not uncommon for winners to delay claiming their prizes, as they have up to a year to do so.
From the drawing, the state of New Jersey garnered $77 million in ticket sales, with the ShopRite store that sold the winning ticket set to receive a $30,000 bonus commission.
Mega Millions drawings occur twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays around 11:00 p.m. ET. The upcoming drawing on Christmas Eve boasts a jackpot of $970 million, offering a truly extraordinary holiday bonus for potential winners.
