Winner of $1.35B Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpot comes ahead

PORTLAND, Maine — The winner of a $1.35 billion Mega Hundreds of thousands jackpot — the fourth largest in U.S. historical past — has come ahead to gather the prize, state officers stated Wednesday.

The winner of the January drawing had been a thriller, and stays a thriller.

The Maine State Lottery stated the winner selected to stay nameless and gather the money choice via a restricted legal responsibility firm, LaKoma Island Investments LLC, as a substitute of receiving the complete quantity in funds over time.

“The winner is thoughtfully contemplating one of the best makes use of of the life-changing prize,” a consultant stated in a press release.

By selecting the money choice, the winner will obtain a one-time, lump-sum cost of $723,564,144 earlier than taxes, officers stated.

The winner had the choice of coming ahead in particular person with the profitable ticket or remaining nameless via a belief, lottery officers stated.

The profitable ticket was validated when a consultant got here to the lottery headquarters in Augusta on Friday, and the wire switch of the cash will happen earlier than the tip of the week, stated Michael Boardman, deputy director of Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Drinks & Lottery Operation.

“I perceive why somebody would wish to stay nameless with this sort of cash. We want them properly and hope they do good issues with it,” he stated.

The profitable ticket for the Jan. 13 drawing was bought at Hometown Fuel & Grill in Lebanon, which is situated on a busy freeway in a small city close to the New Hampshire border.

Proprietor Fred Cotreau stated he had no concept who held the profitable ticket.

“We’re going to attend and see if it’s an area. Who is aware of? Typically they arrive to the shop and say thanks, however I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” stated Cotreau, who shared half of the shop’s proceeds of $50,000 for promoting the profitable ticket together with his workers.

If the winner had chosen to just accept the complete quantity, then there would’ve been 30 funds over 29 years, Boardman stated.

By accepting the money payout, the winner will obtain greater than $498 million after taxes, Boardman stated. Taxes within the quantity of $173.6 million will go to the federal authorities and $51 million to the state, he stated. The restricted legal responsibility firm that may obtain the cash was integrated out of state, he stated.