A person in Georgia hit it big and won a $980 million Mega Millions jackpot Friday, the eighth-largest prize in the lottery’s history and the largest in state history.
The winning numbers were white balls 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57, along with gold ball 7. The winning ticket was bought at a Publix in Newnan, Georgia, about 37.7 miles southwest of Atlanta, where the drawing is typically held at the WSB-TV studios.
In addition to being the eighth-largest Mega Millions jackpot, surpassed only by the seven previous jackpots that got over $1 billion, it is also the largest prize awarded in Georgia lottery history, worth more than double the $478.2 million Powerball jackpot won by a player in the state in October 2024.
“We are thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in our state’s history,” Georgia Lottery President Gretchen Corbin said.
The winning player has 180 days to claim their prize and choose between the immediate lump-sum option of $452.2 million and the annuitized option of a smaller sum followed by 29 annual payments, each 5% larger than the last.
The Mega Millions jackpot is now reset to a base of $50 million ahead of Tuesday’s drawing. The lottery’s $5 tickets are sold in the nation’s capital, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and every U.S. state except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
