The winner of New Jersey’s $1.13 billion jackpot finally claims his prize

CNN
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A lucky New Jersey lottery winner will soon have a life-changing payday.

According to a New Jersey Lottery press release, the winner of a $1.128 billion Mega Millions jackpot has finally come forward and claimed his incredible windfall nearly nine months after the ticket was drawn.

Lottery officials say the eye-popping prize is the fifth highest in the game’s nearly three-decade history.

According to the lottery, the winning ticket was drawn March 26 at a ShopRite supermarket in the coastal community of Neptune.

Like many other lottery winners, the lucky ticket holder chose a cash prize that totaled $537.5 million, before federal and state taxes, lottery officials say.

The player “values ​​privacy” and, according to the lottery, has chosen to remain anonymous thanks to a law passed in 2020 that allows lottery winners to hide their identities in public records indefinitely. Officials say it’s not unusual for winners to wait before coming forward to claim their prize since they have a full year to do so.

The state of New Jersey collected $77 million in ticket sales through this drawing, and the ShopRite that sold the winning ticket will receive a $30,000 bonus commission.

Mega Millions drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at approximately 11:00 p.m. ET. The next drawing will take place on Christmas Eve – and the jackpot is $970 million – the ultimate holiday bonus!