The biggest prize ever paid out by the Texas Lottery goes to a trust
By Kate Northrop
A Texas trust has stepped forward to claim the record-breaking $800 million Mega Millions jackpot, the largest prize ever paid out to a single Texas lottery player.
History was made in Texas today as a trust claimed an $800 million Mega Millions jackpot, setting a new record for the state and marking a monumental moment in Texas Lottery history.
The Sol Living Trust, of Sugar Land, received the highest prize ever paid out to a Texas lottery player and the seventh largest Mega Millions prize in the game's history, the Lottery announced.
The massive haul is also the 13th-largest lottery jackpot in US history and the 15th Mega Millions jackpot won in Texas since the state began offering the game in December 2003.
A member of the Sol Living Trust purchased the winning Quick Pick ticket at Murphy USA on Highway 90A in Sugar Land and matched all six drawn numbers in the Tuesday, Sept. 10 drawing: 1, 2, 16, 24, and 66, with Mega Ball number 6.
"We absolutely love when Texas Lottery players win big, and it's a tremendous honor to congratulate our state's largest-ever jackpot winner," Lottery Executive Director Ryan Mindell said in a press release. "This jackpot win shows that any Texas Lottery ticket could lead to an exciting prize, and if you're playing, the next one could be yours."
For selling the winning ticket, the retailer received a check for a cool $1 million, but it's nothing compared to what the ticketholder will receive.
At the time of purchase, the Lottery said, the player selected the cash option of the jackpot. Before taxes, the lump sum comes to $409,297,624.
According to USA Mega's Mega Millions Jackpot Analysis, after all federal taxes are paid, the winner will receive about $254.69 million in cash all at once. Texas does not have a state tax on lottery prizes.
Since the winner claimed the prize as the cash option, we may never learn the true identity of the person who bought the winning ticket. That's because lottery winners of $1 million or more in Texas may elect to remain anonymous, but the Lottery is allowed to release the names of legal entity prize winners and authorized representatives.
Lottery Post maintains a list of every state's anonymity policies for lottery winners, and Lottery Post published a comprehensive video presentation about each state's anonymity laws.
A complete list of payouts for all prizes and the official drawing video can be found at USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Information page, as well as at Lottery Post's Mega Millions Prize Payouts page.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place on Friday, Oct. 4 at 11:00 p.m. EST for a jackpot of $108 million.
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. Tickets cost $2 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Nice payout despite the taxes.
Asked my Brother-in Law why his homeland doesn't offer Mega Millions said Puerto Rico is corrupt. Who knows?
A boring trust claimed it. I would rather see another Jack Whittaker type claim it so we could all enjoy watching how they mismanage it. I hope the trust invests it all in Ukranian grain futures.
Congrats!
Am happy for the folks that got that lucky and chose to annoy sore losers
<< cues up Mr Jackson's smooth criminal >> LOL
Probably wasted $200 trying to win that <snip> thing...
What kind of nonsense comment is that dude. I am glad NO one has agree with you, with 4 down votes so far. Jealously is not a good look billybucks
He always does that then claims he is not jealous. Lol
Jealousy combined with a need for attention.
Annnnnd, cleared over $254 MILLION. Jealous much?
At least I don't congratulate every winner like some do on here. That really attracts readers reading congratulations every time someone wins. Isn't it obvious that congratulations are in order. Why keep writing that and nothing else. Some of us here want details especially after they win we want to know what they did with the money or what they want to do with it. I found the Jack Whittaker story fascinating. Ripping through 300 million when the guy was already a millionaire was interesting and tragic. Should be a movie made about him. We want lottery stories and speculation about the person doing whatever with it not hearing congrats for winning nonsense.
I agree about the constant posts simply saying congrats to a winner who will never see the post but that is different to wishing a winner well.
You do not have a right to know what they are going to do with the money. You want to see a trainwreck and drama and that is a form of jealousy.
You remind me of a bank employee when I switched banks. The woman asked me what I was going to do with all the money in my savings account. I told her she was being unprofessional and it was none of her business.
Its funny you would think Old Jack's story is fascinating
If that fathead had stuck to maintaining and building up his business & had not given his grand daughter the E ticket ... I'd dare wager they'd both be alive and well
in fact its almost almost to the day a year ago, I remember making this blog entry
https://www.lotterypost.com/blogentry/182125
I would want to hear both aspects of a story when someone wins. Good and bad, yes. Of course on here you only hear about the initial win and the exuberance the winner shares at the moment. It usually does not go according to plan for them on what they do with it. Buy a mansion. I laugh when they decide to do that. Buying planes, boats and vehicles they will hardly ever use is another laughable plan. But we never hear about what they actually did only what they might do. Giving it to a financial planner is about exciting as watching paint dry. They cackle when someone comes in with lottery money for them to siphon.
They did it big in Texas Congratulations stay anonymous
Nobody knows if the winner will see the congratulatory posts or not.
I can't imagine a lottery winner not checking out Lottery Post!
A lottery jackpot winner might check out Lottery Post for at least 3 reasons:
1. To see if a story about their win has been posted.
2. To learn more about the lottery.
3. To get numbers for their next big win.