Someone in New Jersey has a golden opportunity awaiting them: an opportunity worth $1.13 billion.
For nearly six months, the unclaimed winnings of a Mega Millions lottery jackpot have just been sitting out there in the Garden State. It’s the fifth-largest prize in the drawing’s history.
If the person doesn’t come forward within the next six months, they’ll forfeit the winnings. Per New Jersey rules, you have only one year to claim your prize after a lotto drawing.
We know where they bought the ticket: at a ShopRite liquor store in Neptune, on the Jersey Shore. And we know the lucky numbers: 07, 11, 22, 29, and 38, with the gold Mega Ball being 04 and the multiplier 02. Does that sound like anyone you know? Childhood apartment numbers? Anniversary? Any Snooki fans?
While it’s unusual for so much time to have passed, there’s a few reasons for delaying the claim. More than a billion dollars is, well, a lot of money. After deductions and taxes, it’s still $537.5 million. Seeking legal and financial advice ahead of coming into that much money is something even the New Jersey Lottery urges its winners do ahead of time. So perhaps the lucky person is getting their ducks all in a row before going in and claiming the prize.
That being said, New Jersey is one of the states that allows winners to keep their identity a secret aside from providing it to state officials. The state is 1 of 18 in the country that allows for anonymous winners.
If that ticket goes unclaimed past March 26, 2025, the money goes back to the state. Typically, states take the money they get back and apply it to public programs like schools. Pennsylvania, for example, uses unclaimed lottery winnings to support elderly programs.
In the meantime, though, we can all sit around and wonder what we’d do with more than half a billion dollars landing in our bank accounts. If they’re quick, they can still buy the earliest-known Pikachu card.
The post Mega Mystery Over Huge Unclaimed Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot appeared first on VICE.
The post Mega Mystery Over Huge Unclaimed Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot appeared first on VICE.
