A Mega Millions playslip for those players preferring to choose the numbers they want to play is among the stacks of other lottery game playslips on display at a Smoker Friendly store, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Cranberry Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By Ed White
Someone in Michigan bought the winning ticket for the $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot, which is the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
The winning numbers for Friday night’s drawing were 4, 26, 42, 50, and 60, with a Mega Ball of 24. The winning ticket was purchased at a Kroger store in the Detroit suburb of Novi, the Michigan Lottery said.
“Someone in Michigan woke up to life-changing news this morning, and Kroger Michigan congratulates the newest Michigan multimillionaire,” said Rachel Hurst, a regional spokeswoman for the grocery chain. She declined to comment further.
The Mega Millions top prize had been growing since Sept. 15, when a winning ticket was sold in Wisconsin. The lottery's next estimated jackpot is $20 million.
Friday night's drawing came just two days after a ticket sold in Maryland matched all six numbers drawn and won a $731.1 million Powerball jackpot.
The jackpot figures refer to amounts if a winner opts for an annuity, paid in 30 annual installments. Most winners choose a cash prize, which for the Mega Millions game would be $776.6 million before taxes and $557 million after taxes, Michigan Lottery spokesman Jake Harris said.
“No way!” Ryan Gabrielli told The Detroit News after shopping Saturday at the lucky Kroger. “We meant to play the lottery but forgot to.”
Harris said the ticket holder should sign the back and keep it in a safe place.
“I wouldn't be surprised if the winning ticket holder held onto that ticket for a little bit, got their affairs in order, put together a financial plan, and then reached out to contact us,” he said.
Only two lottery prizes in the U.S. have been larger than Friday's jackpot. Three tickets for a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot were sold in January 2016, and one winning ticket sold for a $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in October 2018.
In Grosse Ile, a suburb south of Detroit, 126 people bought more than 600 tickets for the Friday drawing but didn't win the jackpot. They hoped to win enough money to replace a publicly owned bridge on their island in the Detroit River that has been closed indefinitely for major repairs. The only other transportation option for the island's 10,000 residents is a privately owned toll bridge.
“We used this to lift our spirits and dream a little bit,” said organizer Kyle de Beausset. “Of course we're open to any help with the bridge, but I can't imagine the winner would want to finance it.”
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot were incredibly steep, at one in 302.5 million.
The game is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
___
Associated Press writer Julie Walker in New York City contributed to this report.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is finally in theaters and fans everywhere are very excited. Before you rush to the theaters to see it, we're telling you everything you need to know about the MCU film.
There's a new ETF designed to offer investors exposure to 'meme stocks.' Roundhill Investments launched it earlier this month and says the ETF is the first that is explicitly designed to track the performance of meme stocks. Roundhill Investments Vice President of Research Mario Stefanidis joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Mobile bill payment application Papaya recently raised $50 million in a series B round led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
Papaya lets users take a photo of any bill, and the app's AI-powered 'bill understanding technology' pays the bill in seconds. The company says its goal is to help people spend more time on things that matter, by making bill-paying as painless and quick as possible. Papaya CEO and co-founder Patrick Kann joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
According to the CDC, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The grim statistic is one of the main reasons why two organizations came together to do something. The Bump and the National Medical Association are partnering to launch The Black Maternal Health hub. The online resource will help expecting mothers feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout pregnancy and the early days of parenting. Jennifer Lee at The Bump and Dr. Rachel Villanueva, a clinical assistant professor of OB/GYN and member of the National Medical Association join Cheddar News to talk about the initiative.
If you're looking for a date, 2022 might be your year. Online dating platform Bumble is buzzing with dating predictions from its latest survey. Shan Boodram, sex and relationships expert at Bumble, joined Cheddar to discuss some of the findings and what people can expect from the future dating landscape. Some of the results showed that public displays of affection are back on the rise as more people get vaccinated and that more users are opting for alcohol-free first dates. She also explained the trend of "explori-dating," a way that users are attempting to get out of their comfort zone. "People are willing to date outside of their city to get to that," she said.
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The seventh term in the countdown is Transitory. Definition: (adjective) of brief gratification, not permanent.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Omorpho Co-Founder explains the innovation driving gravity sportswear; Cool Beans CEO breaks down the science behind 'good mood food;' A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Building The James Webb Telescope.'
Stefan Olander, Co-Founder of Omorpho, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how they are bringing innovation into athleticwear by creating 'gravity sportswear.'
Tyler Mayoras, CEO of Cool Beans, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss the science behind being a 'good mood food,' and what makes these burritos good for the environment.
