Just in time for the holidays, a New Jersey lottery player has claimed the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot from a March drawing, as lottery players across the country gear up for a near-billion-dollar jackpot on Christmas Eve.
The New Jersey Lottery confirmed Monday that the lucky ticket-holder has come forward, ending a months-long mystery of who purchased the winning ticket at a Jersey Shore grocery store.
The winning numbers from that March drawing made the fifth-largest lottery winner in Mega Millions history.
The new billionaire is keeping things low-key, choosing to remain anonymous under state law. Meanwhile, the ShopRite that sold the winning ticket received a $30,000 bonus commission, adding another layer of celebration to the jackpot win.
How much is the Mega Millions now?
The multi-state Mega Millions lottery could see someone waking up Christmas morning as a near-billionaire.
The jackpot for Tuesday’s Christmas Eve drawing has climbed to $944 million, making it the seventh-largest prize in the game’s nearly 30-year history.
Mega Millions has seen three big jackpot winners this year; in addition to the March jackpot, there was a $560 million win in June and an $800 million win in in September.
If Tuesday’s drawing doesn’t produce a winner, the Dec. 27 Mega Millions jackpot will likely top $1 billion.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Who won Mega Millions? Billion-dollar prize claimed in NJ