Georgia Ticket Claims $983M Mega Millions Jackpot

A single Mega Millions ticket sold in Georgia claimed the game's eighth-largest jackpot ever, worth an estimated $983 million, after Friday's drawing ended a 40-draw drought without a winner. The winning numbers were 1, 8, 11, 12, 57 and Mega Ball 7, with the ticket purchased at a Publix supermarket in Newnan, about 35 miles southwest of Atlanta. The prize marks the largest Mega Millions win in Georgia since 2016 and the first top jackpot for the state in eight years.

The winner, who selected the Quick Pick option, faces a choice between a 30-year annuity totaling around $989 million or a lump-sum payment of approximately $452.2 million before taxes. After federal withholding of 24 percent and Georgia's state income tax of 5.14 percent, the lump-sum option would net about $240 million, according to lottery estimates. The annuity, paid out at roughly $17.4 million annually, would yield about $522 million after taxes over three decades. Georgia law allows winners of prizes over $250,000 to remain anonymous upon request, so the individual's identity may never be disclosed. The ticket must be claimed within 180 days at a Georgia Lottery office.

This victory resets the Mega Millions...