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.
- Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Powerball: $1.7874 billion, Sep. 6, 2025 (41 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Missouri, Texas
- Powerball: $1.7649 billion, Oct. 11, 2023 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
- Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
- Powerball: $1.3259 billion, Apr. 6, 2024 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Oregon
- Mega Millions: $1.269 billion, Dec. 27, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.128 billion, Mar. 26, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
- Mega Millions: $983 million, Nov. 14, 2025 (39 rollovers, starting at $50 million) - Georgia
- Powerball: $842.4 million, Jan. 1, 2024 (34 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
- Mega Millions: $800 million, Sep. 10, 2024 (27 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Texas
- Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
- Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
- Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
- 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.
- Powerball: $997.6 million cash, Nov. 7, 2022 ($2.0401 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
- Powerball: $820.6 million cash, Sep. 6, 2025 ($1.7874 billion annuity) - Missouri, Texas
- Mega Millions: $794.2 million cash, Aug. 8, 2023 ($1.602 billion annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $774.1 million cash, Oct. 11, 2023 ($1.7649 billion annuity) - California
- Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
- Powerball: $621 million cash, Apr. 6, 2024 ($1.3259 billion annuity) - Oregon
- Mega Millions: $571.9 million cash, Dec. 27, 2024 ($1.269 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
- Mega Millions: $536.6 million cash, Mar. 26, 2024 ($1.128 billion annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $453.6 million cash, Nov. 14, 2025 ($983 million annuity) - Georgia
- Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
- Powerball: $425.2 million cash, Jan. 1, 2024 ($842.4 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
- Mega Millions: $404.2 million cash, Sep. 10, 2024 ($800 million annuity) - Texas
- Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
- 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)
im glad its over. for now. hallelluhah its raining winnings.
Well there is your strategy if you play... put $5 in an envelope or jar for every drawing and on the 40th draw take it to the store and buy your 40 tickets. If in the rare instance it is won before 40 drawings you will just get to buy more tickets at 40 draws on the next run.
Awesome Succotash
No Billion Dollar Jackpot after 20 Weeks
On to the Powerball
It's rigged I'm saying.
Sold in the state where the drawing takes place.
Sold @ Publix (again).
Just kidding folks; going to cash my $30 winner in now (two #7's).
Updated the story to include the retailer bonus and that it was a Quick Pick ticket.
Don't fret my fellow lotterypost friends ...... we didn't win the big one last night but tonight we try again .... 546 mil isn't a bad consolation prize.
And no big publicity ... Just walk into your state lottery office on Monday and relax for the rest of your life.
Have a shaggy day!
ShagE3
Congrats to the winner, enjoy.
Last time GA won was Dec 2013, wow
All those who hate quick picks take note.
* Especially those who say " l don't play the MM game."
l called it earlier as a QP win & got burned in effigy. 😄
Most winning tickets are QPs. As are ~90% of tickets sold.
I think it's more like 70 percent.
* What's tacky in my opinion is this thinking " l won't play MM at present because of the price, so l WANT other players ( suckers) to raise it up before l jump in & play, because at that point, price wouldn't matter. 🤮
* You either a player or you not, you either going to fish or cut bait!
what makes that "tacky?" words have meanings, perhaps learn them. nobody is obligated to play games of chance if they consider the odds bad and the cost not worth it for small jackpots.
* That's why it's called opinions. You may not like it, but that's life.
I knew as soon as they said it was a winner and the numbers, it was a machine. No way a human manually picks such low numbers and then a number that high that doesn't make sense.
Congrats to the winner tho! 🎉
if anyone did that, put the money to the stock market. i like your thinking.
That is just what I am doing. MM was won before it got to my target amount to begin purchasing. But, due to the price increase I would have bought 1 to 5 tickets only to have a chance in the draw. In the past at the 1 to 2 billion mark I have went for 50 tickets for $100 for a better chance, although not *much* better than 1 to 5 tickets, I know.
I currently save the cost of 1 ticket per each bracket of 100 million cash value for both MM and PB games. When PB hits my target amount (not set yet but it is on the way) I will dump a wad of money for $2 tickets, or maybe go half on my first target drawing and if no winners the rest on the next draw (still undecided).
I will decide what to do when we get closer to the target.
Everyone should play their own way, every draw, every other draw, every 10 draws, whatever they like the best. That is what I am doing.
Best wishes to all who play either game.
You're either a player or not for one drawing. No one is expected to play every drawing.
Only dummies play every drawing. The price and ridiculously low odds make it a terrible bet unless the jackpot gets really really high.
Funny, I saw those numbers and thought - Low numbers are birthday numbers/kids ages then the 57 was age of player or year of birth for player. So very easy to see why someone would play that. I try not to limit my 'thinking' of combinations as any of these games can and do throw any combination.
I only play Tx2Step every draw, but Lotto and PB usually play only Saturday when the jackpot is the highest for the current run.
I heard a rumor thru the delivine that the winning ticket holder to last fridays 980 million MegaMillions jackpot religiously eats liverwurst or oliveloaf in their sandwiches every tuesday and friday for lunch and then proceeds to buy his tickets for that evening.
Now ... I'm just saying ... I told you so!
Have a shaggy day fellow lottery posters!!
Your friend
ShagE3
Why do you have to make those stupid comments about disgusting sandwiches all the time? It's getting old.
See ya next spring Mega.....maybe around April...lol
Sounds about right to me ...... unfortunately.
But I can't blame others for not putting down 5 dollars a game to build up the jackpot when I myself won't enter into the fray until it reaches half a billion. Oh well, maybe I'll be the April fool next year?!
Have a shaggy day!
And remember to take your vitamins ..... say your prayers ..... and eat your liverwurst and or OLIVELOAF sandwiches religiously .
Over and out!
ShagE3
It's only when the sandwiches get old that they become disgusting.
Have a shaggy day!
ShagE3
if you win the lottery you should open a chain of delis selling weird 70s food. it goes without saying the interior decor should feature wall to wall shag carpet, even in the restrooms.
Story updated with final jackpot and cash amounts, replacing estimates previously reported.
Annuity: $983 million
Cash Option: $453.6 million
when you opt for the cash value, do you get a check for a specific amount like $453,609,211.74 or do they round it off to something with several zeros?
That may vary by state. I believe Michigan just rounds down to the nearest dollar.
GA allows a winner to remain anonymous.
Yes that is true but it would be super easy to figure out who that winner is ... simply by observing customers in line at the Publix deli counter.
If you happen to notice someone ordering liverwurst and or OLIVELOAF on a regular basis ..... you can be your own Columbo.
Have a shaggy day!
ShagE3
I work at Publix and they no longer carry liverwurst in the deli
The co. that made it had issues
Hey, doesn't everybody have issues right?
Anyway maybe this mystery winner only buys OLIVELOAF at Publix and gets their liverwurst elsewhere?
Or maybe they don't buy they're lunch meat at Publix at all?
This case is gonna be hard to solve but fear not I'm in it for the long haul.
Have a shaggy day ...
And remember to buy your Powerball ticket(s).
ShagE3
Well I heard they had a souse (hoghead cheese)sandwich with a banana moonpie and a Blenheim ginger ale.
Ga will still take around 28% from the 450 million for taxes!!!
Have heard of hoghead cheese but never tried it .... banana moonpie? would that be similar to a whoopie pie? And have only heard of three ginger ales ...., Schweppes Canada dry and local grocery label.
Have a shaggy day !
ShagE3
Still on the Georgia MegaMillions jackpot winner identity case .....have no fear ....,. ShagE 3 is here!
When I congratulated the Georgia Lottery on Twitter the morning after, I wasn't expecting them to give it the thumbs up. (Considering the fact that I'm from England)
"Why do you have to make those stupid comments about disgusting sandwiches all the time? "
TBI?
"do you get a check for a specific amount like $453,609,211.74 or do they round it off "
Even if the prize is only one million it doesn't matter if you don't get the last 89 cents, but the official rules specify the percentage of revenue to goes toward the jackpot prize pool. Unless there's a specific rule stating that actual payment will be to the nearest dollar or rounded down to a whole dollar value I'd imagine the payments are to the penny. Jackpots aren't common enough for rounding down to save more than a couple of bucks per year and it's not any harder for a computer to transfer the exact amount than to transfer a whole dollar amount.
PB and MM have official rules that are the same for each state so I don't think the choice would be up to each state. The cash prize is based on actual sales, so I'd expect the prize you get to be calculated to the nearest penny by a simple math equation.
"PB and MM have official rules that are the same for each state"...
Uh WRONG! California being the most obvious example and then there are some states that allow anonymity on PB and MM.
I could go on but no they are NOT all the same.
California being allowed to make lower tier prizes parimutuel is a part of the official PB rules that all states follow. How sales revenue is apportioned to the various prize levels, and therefore the total amount of each prize pool is the same percentage for all members of the game, and unrelated to how that prize pool is used to pay winners.
How or if winners' identities are publicized is based on state law or lottery rules, and generally isn't part of the PB rules. Strangely, the official rules do make note of a CT law making winners' identities public information that "may be disclosed". The clause only references the CT law and imposes no PB requirement (or restriction) on how or if the information will be disclosed or publicized.