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LOTTERY

What is the biggest lottery jackpot ever won in the US?

As the Mega Millions lottery creeps towards the billion dollar mark, we take a look back at some of the other whopping wins of recent years.

Update:
Friday 26 January, 2024 winning Mega Millions numbers

A single-ticket holder in California won the biggest in American history after the jackpot rose to a whopping $2.04 billion. The $2.04 million jackpot is the largest lottery prize ever won in the United States.

While the ‘jackpot’ figure often appears as a single lump sum payment, the reality is that most lotteries offer an annuitized jackpot in which the money is paid in a series of instalments. Both Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are paid out in 30 annual instalments.

The following is a list of the highest jackpots to have been won in US history, assuming that the winner chose to accept the higher annuitized amount rather than the lower cash alternative.

RankingJackpotLotteryDate
1.$2.04bnPowerballNov, 8, 2022
2.$1.59bnPowerballJan. 13, 2016
3.$1.54bnMega MillionsOct. 23, 2018
4.$1.35bnMega MillionsJan. 13, 2023
5.$1.34bnMega MillionsJuly 29, 2022
6.$1.05bnMega MillionsJan. 22, 2021

How much of a lottery jackpot goes on taxes?

Winning either the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is a truly life-changing amount of money, but a fairly substantial proportion of the winnings will go on taxes.

The winner of the $2.04 billion jackpot took home $628 million in a lump sum payment after taxes.

Lotto winners can reduce their tax bill by making charitable contributions. The American Institute of CPAs states that individuals can contribute up to 60% of their adjusted gross income to a public charity and receive a tax deduction for the same amount.

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