Mega Millions Winner In Illinois To Come Forward

RED BUD, Ill. (Associated Press) — The Illinois Lottery says the final winner of the record $656 million Mega Million jackpot has come forward.

Lottery officials said Monday that the single winner will be revealed Wednesday. The other two winning tickets already have been anonymously claimed in Maryland and Kansas.

The Illinois winner will be presented a check for $218.6 million in the small southern Illinois town of Red Bud, where the winning ticket was purchased at a convenience store.

Maryland and Kansas allow lottery winners to claim their prizes anonymously, but Illinois generally requires winners to publicly come forward. Illinois lottery officials say the rules help prove that the lottery is paying out its prizes.

The jackpot was the biggest in Mega Millions history.

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• New York Brothers Charged With Scamming $5 Million Lottery Ticket

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• Chicago Man Wins New Jersey Lottery While Cleaning Up After Hurricane Sandy

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• Homeless Man Wins $200,000 Lottery Prize

  A homeless man in Greenville, S.C. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/homeless-man-wins-lottery-greenville_n_1989771.html">won $200,000 from a scratch-off lottery game</a> in October 2012.

• Teen Cancer Survivor Wins Mega Millions Lottery

  Nicholas Ruth, a 19-year-old cancer survivor, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/nicholas-ruth-teen-cancer-survivor-mega-millions-lottery-video_n_1916132.html">matched five of the six numbers in the state's Mega Millions lottery</a>, earning himself a second-tier prize of $250,000 in September 2012. After taxes, Ruth will have about $165,000 to spend and plans to donate some of his money back to the organizations that helped him with his leukemia.

• Friends Win Mega Millions Jackpot After Playing Together For 25 Years

  Willie McPherson, 74, and Christopher Manzi, 44, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/06/mcpherson-manzi-mega-millions-lottery-25-years_n_1944181.html#slide=757174">won a $14 million jackpot in September 2012 </a>after playing the Mega Millions lottery together for 25 years, according to the New York Post. The two had been buying lottery tickets together after becoming friends while working at Manzi’s print shop in Manhattan.

• Lotto Winner Found Million Dollar Ticket While Cleaning Out Desk

  Retired hospice chaplain Ron Yurcus <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/ron-yurcus-glen-ellyn-lot_n_2139308.html">stumbled across a million-dollar miracle when he found a winning lottery ticket while cleaning out his desk</a> in November 2012. He had purchased the Powerball ticket from a BP gas station two months earlier.

• Geniuses Outsmart Massachusetts Cash WinFall

  A group including MIT undergraduates and a biomedical researcher <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/massachusetts-cash-winfall-lottery_n_1729416.html" target="_hplink">discovered a loophole in the Cash WinFall game</a> that netted them nearly $48 million. Apparently, lottery officials knew about the scam since at least 2010, but did nothing about it because it generated $16 million in revenue for the state.

• Man Wins Lotto, Bails Himself Out Of Jail

  After John Ross Jr. won a 'Set For Life' scratch off game, he was looking forward to turning his life around. However, Ross soon <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/john-ross-california-lott_n_1590089.html" target="_hplink">found himself behind bars</a> after he allegedly helped a woman hide and repair a stolen car.

• Clerk Steals Winning Ticket From Great-Grandma

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• Woman's Friend Steals Winning Scratch-Off

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• Controversy Over Record Mega Millions Jackpot

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• Woman 'Hides' Winning Ticket At McDonald's

  Mirlande Wilson, a McDonald's employee in Baltimore, claimed she <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/mirlande-wilson-maryland-mcdonalds-worker_n_1396943.html" target="_hplink">had won the record-high $656 million Mega Millions jackpot </a>and that she <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/what_mega_mess_wHA9HVdfxA1VDSqWn58KtJ" target="_hplink">was not going to share her winnings</a> with co-workers, who alleged that Wilson was a part of a workplace lottery pool. Wilson announced that she had <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/marlinde-wilson-mega-millions-winner-ticket-mcdonalds_n_1402892.html" target="_hplink">hid the winning ticket at a McDonald's</a> and subsequently <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/mirlande-wilson-mega-millions-mcdonalds_n_1408105.html" target="_hplink">claimed to have lost the ticket</a>. In the end, it was revealed<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/maryland-mega-millions-winner_n_1414857.html" target="_hplink"> Wilson never even had the winning ticket</a>.

• Teen Finds Ticket In Messy Bedroom

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• Chicago Couple Keeping Millions Secret

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• Connecticut Money Managers Win Big Jackpot

  Greg Skidmore, Brandon Lacoff and Tim Davidson, who work at an asset management firm in Greenwich, one of the most affluent towns in America, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/254-million-jackpot-connecticut-money-managers_n_1119321.html">came forward as lottery winners in 2011</a>. Their lawyer said they formed a trust to manage the money after Davidson bought the $1 winning ticket at a Stamford gas station.

• Lotto Winner Continued To Collect Food Stamps

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• Undocumented Immigrant Awarded Lotto Prize After Lawsuit

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• Iowa Lottery Winner Claims $16.5 Million Prize At Last Minute

  The winner of an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/iowa-lottery-winner-last-minute_n_1176971.html">Iowa Lottery ticket in 2011 </a>valued at $16.5 million waited until two hours before the deadline to claim the prize. The ticket was purchased nearly one year ago.

• Winning $80K Lottery Ticket Donated To Burglarized Georgia Church

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Comments

[Trishann]

07:24 PM on 04/17/2012

Even if I had to pay an additional penalty to the state, I would want to remain anonymous. A lot of folks to who win come from situations, communities, families that might put them or people they know if harms way. Threats, kidnapping, etc. could happen. It's horrible to put someone in that situation.

[theatheo]

07:18 PM on 04/17/2012

When was the last time Mitt was in Illinois lol. Why do my I's and l's look the same?

[gmcinahuff]

06:54 PM on 04/17/2012

Three weeks to claim. I guess he/she just wanted to make sure the divorce was final.

Just kidding folks...

[Capn Scott]

06:32 PM on 04/17/2012

Must not need it too badly if you wait 3 weeks to claim it.

Three weeks is a long time to hold a little slip of paper that claims that the state owes you $216 million. One spilled cup of coffee could make that $216 million go !poof! and disappear.

[Blackspeare]

05:27 PM on 04/17/2012

The question that should be asked is why some states ID the winners, when it is known that this just causes a myriad of problems for the winners. The reason Illinois gave just doesn't make any sense.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

03:23 PM on 04/17/2012

Just a question, would the lotter winnings be considered "earned" income, or are they taxed at the "capital gain" rate. A lottery ticket isn't that much different then a stock certificate, right?

[Clarabell]

04:07 PM on 04/17/2012

a quick look at the 1040 form would probably answer your question.

[Clarabell]

04:13 PM on 04/17/2012

It is to be reported on line 21 as "other income" on the first page, so probably taxed as earned income, rather than capital gains.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

03:19 PM on 04/17/2012

Having won over $200 million, Mitt loads the dog on top of the family cars and moves to Salt Lake City......

[Pico Pandora]

04:11 PM on 04/17/2012

Just wait until Mitt has a couple taxpayer paid jets at his disposal. The dog will fly first class. Or maybe the dog will get his own plane to jet off to the Vineyard, or Europe. Seems to be ok for the Obamas

[sadwitness]

04:19 PM on 04/17/2012

The dog is long dead, just like Mitts chances

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

08:34 AM on 04/18/2012

Except that Bo rides IN the car, boat, plane, etc....like the family member he is.

[jlan925877]

03:15 PM on 04/17/2012

Nooo dude how much columbian nookie can you get at $47 a pop for 218 million!

[Blackspeare]

05:23 PM on 04/17/2012

Those hookers charged a fee more than $47----that $47 may have been for associated services or an add-on gratuity!

[jsgaetano]

03:04 PM on 04/17/2012

Wow, pretty lucky. I wish them well, a lot of lottery winners do stupid things. If they take the "lump sum" payment, they're already off to a really bad start.

[bigbe]

07:21 PM on 04/17/2012

First off even if they take a ''lump sum'' payment the check wouldn't be for 218 million so why do they show that? Second, since not too many of the people who win these jackpots have exhibited much capacity for wise spending, you are right.
I doubt many of them would have a clue how to invest it and earn the interest needed to make up for the amount the state keeps if you take the lump.
They will soon ''dispose'' of the money by either wasting it, giving it to beggers or some other stupidity.
Look for them on the welfare lines in the future.

[jsgaetano]

09:02 PM on 04/17/2012

> First off even if they take a ''lump sum'' payment the check
> wouldn't be for 218 million so why do they show that?

... that's not a real check. It's just a prop for the photo.

The only way you get the amount you "win" is to take the 20 year plan (or whatever the particular lottery has it at). The "lump sum" is usually half.

IMO, you're just better off going with the 20 years of payments. If you can actually invest the money wisely... well cool, then you get money to invest every year. And if you CANNOT... well heck, if you blow all your money, you just have another check coming next year.

Most people who win can't even handle having that kind of money. Better they just limit themselves.

I don't know if you saw it, there was an article a while back (maybe a year ago?) which tracked like 20 lottery winners. A lot of them no longer had any money. Everyone who had no money... took the "lump sum", of course.

[Rosebud7607]

02:44 PM on 04/17/2012

You mean the nice lady from the Maryland McDonald's didn't win? How shocking.

[Querent]

04:54 PM on 04/17/2012

She did manage to make every one of her co-workers hate her though. I guess that's something. If I was her, I would be keeping my distance from the deep-fryers.

[Susan Bosworth]

05:37 PM on 04/17/2012

I was on vacation and missed the whole ending of that story but I guess I know it? She's full of whats in the fryer? Did they at least fire her?

[NHBill]

02:39 PM on 04/17/2012

I would send my lawyer with a power of attorney and a representative from my favorite charity to to pose for the pictures.
Let the charity get the publicity.
Under no circumstances would I allow my picture to be taken.
If that didn't work then I would hire an expert make-up person and appear in disguise.

[jsgaetano]

03:05 PM on 04/17/2012

Exactly. It's best to not even tell anyone you won, that way nobody is going to be begging for money.

[NHBill]

03:46 PM on 04/17/2012

It's not just that.
Some nuts are very jealous of winners and have been known to do crazy things.
It's not safe to be public about a huge win.

[JBaker]

03:09 PM on 04/17/2012

The last suggestion is the best. By the time my make-up artist was done I would look like either Napoleon or Grouch Marx.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

03:21 PM on 04/17/2012

A military uniform and a mustache? or A cigar and his hand in his jacket rubbing his belly?

[bigbe]

07:23 PM on 04/17/2012

Or Homer Simpson.

[ezwalker]

01:38 PM on 04/17/2012

So glad school teachers won this prize. I bet they'll stay on the right side of politics since they were in the trenches of a society that's making great strides toward the destruction of our educational system and the middle class in general. YOU GO TEACHERS!!

[Justgo4it]

01:27 PM on 04/17/2012

gotta find out where they live , I'm a cousin 10 times removed, just want to get a small loan, a couple of mil will do. lol.

[carlsays]

12:21 PM on 04/17/2012

Now they can afford health insurance.

[Justgo4it]

01:00 PM on 04/17/2012

perhaps they already have it.

[OldMacdonald]

12:14 PM on 04/17/2012

The winners name is Bobby Johnson, he is from Michigan.