California punter who bought lottery ticket from petrol station wins S$1.66 billion jackpot

A pundit in the Northern California town of Cottonwood in the U.S. suddenly became a billionaire overnight, after their Mega Millions lottery ticket hit the jackpot on Dec. 28, 2024.

That lucky winner can now claim a prize of a staggering US$1.22 billion (S$1.66 billion), the New York Times reported.

The winning ticket was bought at a Sunshine Food & Gas petrol station.

The winner's identity was not immediately known to U.S. media. Jackpot winners have up to a year to claim their prize, but the names of lottery winners are a matter of public record in California.

Winners may immediately claim a cash payout of US$549.7 million (S$747 million) or receive the full amount via annual payments over a period of 29 years, NPR reported.

The winning numbers were 3, 7, 37, 49 and 55 with a Gold Mega Ball of 6.

Top image via Pixabay.