Largest lottery jackpot win ever in the state

Updated with final jackpot annuity and cash amounts

By Todd Northrop

After a run of 39 drawings without a jackpot winner, the 40th drawing of the multi-state Mega Millions game produced a single $983 million winner last night when one lottery ticket sold in Georgia matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball.

It is by far the largest lottery jackpot ever won in the state of Georgia. The next-largest amount won in the state was a $648 million Mega Millions jackpot in 2013 that was split with a ticket sold in California, and claimed by a woman who played a single ticket with family birthday numbers. But the previous largest sole winning ticket sold in Georgia was a $478.2 million Powerball jackpot last year, claimed by two anonymous winners who shared the $230.7 million cash option.

The winner of the massive payout from last night's drawing will choose between being paid $983 million in 30 annually-increasing payments over 29 years or the lump-sum cash value of $453.6 million.

The whopping jackpot is the 14th-largest the world has ever seen, and the 8th-largest in Mega Millions game history.

"$983 million is the largest jackpot that's been won since the Mega Millions game changed back in April," said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, in a press release. "Congratulations to our big winner from Georgia and to all our players who are winning more than ever with this new version of the game."

According to USA Mega's Mega Millions Jackpot Analysis, after all taxes are paid, the winner either will receive $569.6 million by the end of 29 years, or $262.3 million in cash all at once. The Georgia winner faces a 5.19% state tax rate on lottery prizes.

Per Georgia law, the winner has 180 days from the date of the drawing to come forward to claim the prize.

We will likely never know who claims the Mega Millions jackpot, since any Georgia winner of a lottery prize exceeding $250,000 can claim the prize anonymously.

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.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Publix Super Market at Arbor Springs Plaza on Route 29 in Newnan — a town in located about 30 miles Southwest of Atlanta. The retailer will earn a $50,000 retailer incentive bonus payment for selling the winning ticket.

The winning ticket was a Quick Pick (random numbers chosen by the lottery terminal).

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, November 14, 2025, were 1, 8, 11, 12, and 57, with Mega Ball number 7.

Fortunately, even if you didn't win the jackpot, the Mega Millions game still offers another 8 ways to win lower-tier prizes.

In addition to the jackpot winner, one lucky player from Michigan matched the first 5 numbers for a second prize win. The player had a 3x multiplier on the winning ticket, making their prize worth $3,000,000.

A total of 48 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win prizes ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. California, which sold 3 of those winning tickets, is the only state awarding different prize amounts. California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.

In total, more than 1.1 million tickets won prizes across the game's nine prize tiers in Friday's drawing. Apart from the jackpot, there were $27.1 million in prizes awarded last night.

A complete list of prizes available for matching various numbers (including the unique California prize amounts) as well as the official drawing video can be found on the Mega Millions Drawing Detail page at USA Mega, as well as on the Mega Millions Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290.5 million.

With the jackpot being won Friday, the next Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate for Tuesday's drawing is reset to its starting point of $50 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 $5 each, and all tickets include the multiplier feature, including those sold in California.

The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Friday's $983 million Mega Millions jackpot stands as the 14th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States — and the world — as well as the 8th-largest in Mega Millions game history.

1. Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
2. Powerball: $1.7874 billion, Sep. 6, 2025 (41 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Missouri, Texas
3. Powerball: $1.7649 billion, Oct. 11, 2023 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
4. Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Florida
5. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
6. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
7. Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
8. Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
9. Powerball: $1.3259 billion, Apr. 6, 2024 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Oregon
10. Mega Millions: $1.269 billion, Dec. 27, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
11. Mega Millions: $1.128 billion, Mar. 26, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - New Jersey
12. Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
13. Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
14. Mega Millions: $983 million, Nov. 14, 2025 (39 rollovers, starting at $50 million) - Georgia
15. Powerball: $842.4 million, Jan. 1, 2024 (34 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
16. Mega Millions: $800 million, Sep. 10, 2024 (27 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Texas
17. Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
18. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
19. Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
20. Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
21. Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
22. Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
23. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
24. Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
25. Powerball: $632.6 million, Jan 5, 2022 (39 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California, Wisconsin

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 15
• Mega Millions: 10

Top 25 cash value jackpots

The Friday Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 19th-largest cash value in history.

1. Powerball: $997.6 million cash, Nov. 7, 2022 ($2.0401 billion annuity) - California
2. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
3. Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
4. Powerball: $820.6 million cash, Sep. 6, 2025 ($1.7874 billion annuity) - Missouri, Texas
5. Mega Millions: $794.2 million cash, Aug. 8, 2023 ($1.602 billion annuity) - Florida
6. Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
7. Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
8. Powerball: $774.1 million cash, Oct. 11, 2023 ($1.7649 billion annuity) - California
9. Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
10. Powerball: $621 million cash, Apr. 6, 2024 ($1.3259 billion annuity) - Oregon
11. Mega Millions: $571.9 million cash, Dec. 27, 2024 ($1.269 billion annuity) - California
12. Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
13. Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
14. Mega Millions: $536.6 million cash, Mar. 26, 2024 ($1.128 billion annuity) - New Jersey
15. Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
16. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
17. Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
18. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
19. Mega Millions: $453.6 million cash, Nov. 14, 2025 ($983 million annuity) - Georgia
20. Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
21. Powerball: $425.2 million cash, Jan. 1, 2024 ($842.4 million annuity) - Michigan
22. Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
23. Mega Millions: $404.2 million cash, Sep. 10, 2024 ($800 million annuity) - Texas
24. Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
25. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri

The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 15
• Mega Millions: 10

(Click to display full-size in gallery)The winning ticket for a $983 million Mega Millions jackpot was purchased at the Publix Super Market at Arbor Springs Plaza on Route 29 in Newnan — a town in located about 30 miles Southwest of Atlanta.