The lives today of the 10 biggest Mega Millions winners ever!
/
Here are the exciting lives of 10 of the biggest Mega Millions jackpot winners. In position #10 is Shane Missler from Tallahassee, Florida. At 20 years old at the time of winning, Missler took home around $282 million after opting to take a lump sum out of the $451 million Mega Millions jackpot.
Shane purchased five Quick Pick tickets at a 7-11 and made lottery history. After winning, Shane enrolled in personal finance courses so he wouldn't have to hire someone else to manage his funds.
Number 9: $516 million - "Peace of Mind"
Coming in at number 9 is more than just one winner, but five. Specifically, a five-person trust named "Peace of Mind" claimed a half-billion jackpot on May 21, 2021. The five-person group lived in Eastern Pennsylvania and wished to keep their identities anonymous.
Number 8: $522 million - A woman in California
On June 7, 2019, a San Diego woman claimed a $522 million jackpot. The winning ticket was from a Quick Pick and she took the cash option that totalled $340 million before taxes.
Number 7: $533 million - Richard Wahl
After moving to New Jersey from Michigan, Richard Wahl decided to play the Mega Millions at a Lukoil station in Riverdale, New Jersey. The 47-year-old production manager at a New Jersey food services facility won the $533 million Jackpot and chose to take the lump sum totalling $175 million after taxes. Richard rebuilt his 1964 Corvette, donated to charity, and recently purchased the La Playa Resort & Suites in Daytona Beach for $13.7 Million.
Number 6: $536 million - A couple from Indiana
An Indiana couple won the $536 Million Jackpot on July 8, 2016. The couple chose to remain anonymous to keep their family safe and keep the normality of their lives intact. For a while, it was a mystery. All anyone knew was that the ticket was sold at a gas station in Indiana.
Number 5: $543 - 11 Wells Fargo Employees, California
A group of 11 co-workers split a $543 million jackpot in California on July 24, 2018. All 11 members worked for Wells Fargo in San Jose and decided to pool their resources together to buy lottery tickets.
Number 4: Two Winners
On December 17, 2013, luck struck two winners, one from California and the other in Georgia. Ira Curry, who was 56 at the time of winning in Atlanta, Georgia, chose to take her winnings in a lump-sum cash payment of $173.8 after taxes. The winner in California decided to keep their identity private for personal and security reasons.
Number 3: $656 million - 3 Anonymous Winners in Kansas, Illinois, and Maryland
A unique three-way split on March 30, 2012, gave three winners in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland $656 million. Two of the winning tickets came from "quick pick" tickets. Each winner chose to get their winnings in a lump sum, giving them $105.1 million after taxes.
Number 2: 1 billion - Wolverine Club
A lottery club with four members in Detroit shared a billion-dollar jackpot from the Mega Millions drawing on January 22, 2021. The club named itself the "Wolverine FLL Club" and held the only winning ticket. The group decided together to take a one-time lump sum payment that came out to $557 million, which is still about $139 million split four ways.
Number 1: $1.5 billion - WInner in South Carolina
The largest Jackpot in Mega Millions history was a $1.5 billion jackpot on October 23, 2018. It was won by an anonymous player in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Not only did the South Carolina resident win so big, but so did the state itself, receiving $61 million in income tax from the winning ticket.
