- Edwin Castro won the record-setting $2.04 billion Powerball lottery jackpot in November 2022.
- Edwin Castro claimed his one-time lump sum from the $2.04 billion Powerball win on Valentine's Day 2023.
- In Florida, Mega Millions and Powerball grand prize winners have 60 days to claim cash option or 6 months to claim annual payments in person at lottery headquarters.
For at least one Florida LLC, Aug. 8 is an important date.
On Aug. 8, 2023, someone won the $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpotafter purchasing a ticket from a Publix in Neptune Beach, Florida. As of Aug. 8, 2024, that jackpot amount is the fourth largest lottery prize in U.S. history (see below) and the largest Mega Millions lottery payout overall.
After final sales, the grand prize totaled $1.602 billion or $794.2 million cash. So … who won the $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot? It's still unknown, even a year later.
Keep scrolling for information about the Aug. 8, 2023 billion-dollar jackpots for Mega Millions and Powerball, the Top 10 largest lottery prizes of all time, and other things to know about claiming a billion-dollar prize from the Florida Lottery.
Who won $1.58 billion lottery jackpot on Aug. 8?
According to the Florida Lottery, Saltines Holdings LLC from Miami claimed the billion-dollar prize Sept. 25, 2023, after its ticket from a Publix grocery in Neptune Beach, near Jacksonville, matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday,Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. In case you're wondering, the winning Mega Millions numbers were 13-19-20-32-33 and the Mega Ball was 14. Megaplier was 2x. That drawing also produced a second-tier winner from Florida: A ticket from Kwik Stop in Hollywood matched five numbers to win $1 million.
When Saltines Holdings LLC claimed the prize in September, it was not known whether it was a one-time lump sum or annual payments. Per Florida Lottery rules,the winner has a limited time to claim prizesthis large in person at lottery headquarters.
Interestingly, two weeks before "Saltines Holdings LLC" won the $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot, Yanira Alvarez of California won the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot. The winning ticket came from Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles. Alvarez, who chose the one-time lump sum of $558.1 million before federal taxes, respectfully declined to make a public comment, according to the California Lottery.
It was the first time in history that Mega Millions and Powerball had a jackpot in the billion-dollar range simultaneously.
In Florida and California, it is public record to know the identity of lottery winners. However, in Florida, there are ways for winners to stay anonymous, lottery experts have said.
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How long do you have to claim a Florida Lottery prize?
Prizes for the Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing, or else the ticket expires. This differs from other states − in California, winners have up to a year from the date of the drawing to claim a lottery jackpot, whether it's the cash option or 30 annual payments. In Florida, to claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Can a lottery winner remain anonymous in Florida?
The $1.58 billion Mega Millions winner, Saltines Holdings LLC, had a limited time to remain anonymous in Florida. Per Florida Lottery rules, it is public record to know the identities of winners, though lottery lawyers and experts have said there are ways to remain anonymous.
One such way is by not signing your name on the back of the ticket and forming a trust or corporation, such as the Saltines Holdings LLC. But other states, like California, where it also is public record to know the identities of lottery winners, have different rules: "The California Lottery regulations do not allow for trusts to collect California Lottery prizes. Only the owner of the ticket can claim a prize," a California Lottery spokesperson said in an email to USA TODAY.
Do stores that sell winning lottery jackpots for Mega Millions and Powerball get a commission?
Stores in Florida that are authorized to sell Mega Millions and Powerball lottery tickets are eligible for a bonus commission if they sold the winning ticket. The amount varies per state. In Florida, the amount has been $100,000. The Neptune Beach Publix received a $100,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket for the $1.58 billion Mega Millions prize.
In California, stores that sell the winning Mega Millions and Powerball lottery tickets receive a commission. In the $1.08 billion Powerball drawing, Las Palmitas Mini Market received $1 million for selling the winning ticket to Yanira Alvarez.
One in a billion?2 Florida Publix stores tied to largest Powerball, Mega Millions prizes ever
How many times have Mega Millions and Powerball lottery jackpots reached $1 billion or more?
As of Aug. 8, 2024, there have been 11 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion.
- $2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
- $1.765 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California
- $1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
- $1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
- $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
- $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
- $1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
- $1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
- $1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
- $1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her onTwitteror Instagram at@byjensangalang. Support local journalism.Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
