Mega Millions is nearing a $1 billion jackpot with no lucky winner since late June.
The current jackpot, which stands at $900 million, or $415.3 million in cash, is one of the lottery’s biggest ever.
Before tonight’s drawing, we’ve compiled a list of the largest jackpots ever awarded in lottery history, from both Mega Millions and Powerball.
Continue reading to see how big the payouts were and when they were awarded.
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This $1.58 billion payout was claimed by an LLC in Florida for a lump-sum payment of $794,248,882 in August 2023. We still don’t know the identity of the winner, since Florida allows winners to accept their jackpot via entities like an LLC.
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This massive Powerball payday was split three ways in 2016 between winners in California, Tennessee, and Florida. The winners, who weren't publicly named, got $528 million each if they opted for annual payments over a lump-sum payout.
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A Powerball winner in California claimed this prize in October 2023, then the second-largest ever. Theodorus Struyck was publicly named as the winner a few months later. Struyck, a grandfather in his 60s, is a retired UPS worker.
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Two Powerball winners in Missouri and Texas struck gold just two months ago, when they both had winning tickets for the $1.87 billion. The unnamed winners from September each took a cash payout, getting $410.3 million before taxes.
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Edwin Castro won the largest lottery in U.S. history in November 2022 for more than $2 billion. Castro was named a few months later and has since been the subject of intense tabloid scrutiny following his win. The press he’s received is a good case study for why so many winners choose to shield their identities.