COLUMBIA, S.C. — The winner of the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot has finally claimed his prize.
The Oct. 23 prize was the largest jackpot payout to a single winner in U.S. history, South Carolina lottery officials said in a statement Monday.
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The winner, who has decided to remain anonymous, chose a one-time payment of $877,784,124, lottery officials said.
The winning ticket was sold at a KC Mart in Simpsonville, South Carolina.
The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5.
"We are delighted that the winner is a South Carolinian and has come forward to claim this remarkable prize," Hogan Brown, the lottery commission's executive director, said in a statement. "We offer sincere congratulations and are very happy that one of our South Carolina retailers, KC Mart in Simpsonville, will receive $50,000 for selling the claimed winning ticket. The State of South Carolina will benefit from $61 million that will be collected in income taxes from the winner. We respect the winner's decision to remain anonymous, and we will honor the winner's wishes."
For months, South Carolina residents had speculated on why the winner hadn't stepped forward.
Some theorized that the winner was on the run from police and feared a background check if he or she won. Some thought the winner was so overwhelmed at seeing the winning numbers pop up that he or she died on the spot. Others speculated that the winning ticket had been purchased by an office pool and was now the subject of litigation.
The winner had until April 19 to claim the prize. The statement Monday gave no clue as to why the winner took his or her time to come forward.
Cox Media Group
