Mega Millions Jackpot Hits $800 Million: Texas Ticket Strikes Gold in September 10, 2024 Drawing

In Short

A Texas ticket won the $800 million Mega Millions jackpot on September 10, 2024.

The winner can choose between a $404.2 million lump sum or 30 annual payments.

Over 2 million tickets won smaller prizes, including four tickets worth $1 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot has reset to $20 million for the next draw.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, but excitement remains high.

In the latest drawing of the Mega Millions on September 10, 2024, there is another multi-millionaire made from a winning ticket that was sold in Texas to hit the $800 million jackpot. This is among the largest prizes seen in the history of Mega Millions and keeps the thrills going for all those lottery game enthusiasts throughout the United States. The numbers were 1, 2, 16, 24, 66, with a Mega Ball of 6 and a Megaplier of 4x, which came to bring that life-changing windfall into the lucky winner.

A Historic Jackpot: Breaking Down the Prize

The Mega Millions jackpot has rolled over, and after weeks of frenzy and expectation, it swelled to an unbelievable $800 million. Were the winner to take the money all at once, he or she would get roughly $404.2 million before taxes​.

The annuity option-with an initial payout and each year’s prize amount increasing 5%-would dole the prize out in 30 annual payments. This offers a decent, long-term income, reaching close to $800 million before taxes.

What’s Next for the Winner?

Now that the winning ticket has been verified, a host of monumental decisions will weigh on the winner. In addition to the decision between a lump sum and annuity payments, less-than-easy prize claiming and considerable tax repercussions will also be considered. On the federal level, 24 percent of the money won will be deducted immediately, followed by state cuts depending upon the residence of the winner.

This puts the winner in an especially good position, given that Texas has no state income tax and thus won’t experience state-level deductions.

What Happens to the Remaining Players?

While there was only one winning ticket for the jackpot, more than two million tickets won smaller prizes in the drawing on September 10. Those included four tickets that matched the first five numbers and were worth $1 million each. Winners can increase their prize by as much as four times if they took the Megaplier option. In fact, the most recent drawing produced more than 37 winners who matched four numbers plus the Mega Ball to win $10,000 each​.