DETROIT (AP) – A four-member Detroit suburban lottery club has won a $ 1.05 billion Mega Millions prize and will receive $ 557 million after taxes, officials said Friday.
The winners won their prize weeks after the January 22 draw and chose the immediate lump sum option. After taxes, the $ 776 million payment was reduced to about $ 557 million, the Michigan Lottery said.
The names of the four members of the Oakland County Club were not disclosed. The Wolverine FLL Club had the only prize-winning ticket.
“This type of money will affect the families of our club members for future generations. We intend to remain humble and pay for them through charitable donations in southeast Michigan, ”said attorney Kurt Panouses on behalf of the winners.
The largest prize pool of $ 1.05 billion was the largest in the history of the Michigan Lottery and the third largest in the United States. Mega Millions is played in 45 states, as well as in Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.
The winning ticket was purchased almost as a result after a Kroger grocery store in the suburb of Novi, Detroit.
“A member of the club saw a sign that the maximum prize was up to $ 1 billion and recalled that they had not yet bought their tickets, so they entered the Kroger,” Panouses said. “When you play, of course, you dream of winning, but your reality has been amazing.”
Kroger said he would give his $ 50,000 commission to the Michigan Food Bank Council.
There was a lot of public speculation immediately after the draw that a group of Novi teachers had won. David Ascher, principal of Novi Woods Elementary School, dismissed the rumors.
“Today everyone showed up at work, which has been really good,” Escher said two days after the drawing. “Today I bought them all the fritters that seemed to help as well.”
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