According to lottery officials, the winning numbers — 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67 and a gold Mega Ball of 14 — matched a single ticket sold at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois, about 17 miles northwest of Chicago. . The winner has not yet claimed the prize, Harold Mays, director of the Illinois Lottery Department, said at a news conference Saturday. “We don’t know whether or not they know they won an award,” Mays said. “So I encourage everyone to check your ticket.” The jackpot ranks as the third-highest lottery prize in American history, and its winner — who likely paid about $2 for the ticket — will win either a $780.5 million lump sum or receive annuity payments over the next 30 years . If the winner chooses the more popular one-time option, suggested by “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, they’ll have to account for a mandatory federal withholding tax of 24 percent. Winner will also likely owe state income tax: If winner lives in Illinois, winnings will be considered taxable income at the state’s 4.95% rate, and may owe even more if they live in a state with a higher income tax rate. That means the winner should expect to owe at least $226 million in taxes, bringing the take home down to about $554.5 million — a potentially life-changing amount. In a statement Saturday, Mega Millions also noted that 26 tickets won runner-up prizes of either $2 million or $1 million each, and a total of 14,391,740 tickets won some money in nine different prize tiers Friday night. If you’re one of the lucky winners — especially if you’re the mystery person who hit the jackpot — experts say you should take immediate steps to protect your ticket and your privacy. “Privacy is key,” Emily Irwin, senior director of advisory at Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management, told CNBC on Friday. “This provides security to both you and your family from crooks or other people who can start robbing you.” Then you should hire a team of professionals to help you, including an experienced attorney, a financial advisor, a tax advisor and an insurance expert, as CNBC recently noted. Subscribe now: Get smarter about your money and your career with our weekly newsletter Don’t Miss: The 10 Best Places to Win the $1.34 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot
