A four-member suburban lottery club in Detroit won $ 1.05 billion Mega millions and will receive $ 557 million after taxes, officials said Friday. He winners they claimed their prize weeks after the January 22 draw and opted for 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 kind of money will impact the families of our club members for future generations. We plan to stay humble and pay them through charitable donations in southeast Michigan,” lawyer Kurt Panouses said in name of the winners.
/ AP
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 highest prize was up to $ 1 billion and recalled that they had not yet bought 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.
“Kroger is committed to our mission to feed our communities,” said Rachel Hurst, corporate affairs manager for the Kroger Company in Michigan.
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 to 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.”