Top 10 Highest Mega Millions Jackpots Ever

Everyone knows that the biggest lottery jackpots in the world are awarded by American lotteries, but not everyone knows that many of the biggest American jackpots have been won playing Mega Millions. Here is our list of the highest Mega Millions jackpots ever. Maybe one day your name will show up here too!

10. Anonymous - 4 June 2024 - US$552 Million

A ticket sold in Illinois secured the second Mega Millions jackpot of 2024! After matching all six numbers — 19, 37, 40, 63, and 69 for the white balls, along with the gold Mega Ball 17— the single ticket claimed the prize of US$552 million (US$260.2 million cash). The jackpot had been rolling since the March 2024 US$1.128 billion win in New Jersey.

When an email about a prize from the Illinois Lottery came, the winner thought that it was another win of US$2 or US$5 like they’ve won in the past.

Being raised in a household managed by a single mother made the fortunate ticket holder a hard worker who hasn't stopped since graduating from high school. “I’ve always dreamed of retiring early and enjoying life with my family," the winner said in a release. It seems that an early retirement is on the horizon.

9. Ira Curry and Steve Tran - 17 December 2013 - US$648 Million

This huge jackpot was made possible largely due to major format changes made by Mega Millions in October 2013. When the new rules went into effect, they served to boost the lottery’s jackpot significantly. In this case, after a series of 21 rollovers, Mega Millions ticket sales went through the roof. It wasn’t even clear how high the jackpot would be in the final draw but the prize ended up being US$648,000,000!

Two winners each earned a US$324,000,000 share of the pot, worth US$173,819,742.50 before taxes. The winning tickets were bought in San Jose, California, and Stone Mountain, Georgia. The first winner to come forward to claim the prize was 56-year-old Ira Curry, who chose the numbers based on family birthdays and the family's lucky number seven, which was selected as the Mega Ball.

The California winning ticket was bought at Jennifer's Gift Shop in San Jose by Steve Tran, who almost lost his ticket. Tran hadn't even realized he'd won, since the winning ticket was in a pile of other old tickets that he'd neglected to cheque!

8. Merle & Patricia Butler, The Three Amigos, and Anonymous - 30 March 2012 - US$656 Million

Mega Millions had a particularly exciting drawing on 30 March 2012. As the jackpot rose to epic proportions, players and fans began to wonder whether the prize pool would ever be won! The final jackpot was US$656 million - a time a world record for the biggest lottery jackpot ever, and record which stood for four years!

On the Friday after the win, the first of three winners claimed their US$218.6 million share of the prize. Kansas law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, which was what this wise lottery winner chose to do.

The Maryland winners of the amazing prize were three public school system employees who dubbed themselves "The Three Amigos." These American lottery winners -- a woman in her twenties, another in her fifties, and a man in his forties -- purchased a total of sixty tickets around the state, a $20 per person investment that ended up giving them each a huge return on their money! After splitting a massive US$218.6 million, it's safe to say that these amigos are probably each other's richest friends!

The last winning ticket of this enormous jackpot belonged to Merle and Patricia Butler. The couple stayed up all night watching the news and surfing the internet to find out how many people had won the jackpot.

When word that the winning ticket had been purchased in their native town of Red Bud, Illinois, friends jokingly asked Merle if he was the winner. Little did they know that he actually was! The retired couple came forward on 18 April 2012 to claim their prize's cash option payout of US$111 million after taxes.

7. Anonymous - September 10, 2024 - US$810 Million

After 27 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, one lucky ticket holder finally claimed the US$810 million prize (US$409.3 million cash value)! The winning ticket was bought at Murphy USA in Sugar Land, Texas. The winning numbers were 1, 2, 16, 24, 66, with a Mega Ball of 6 (and a Megaplier of 4).

6. Wolverine FFL Club - 22 January 2021 - US$1.05 Billion

After a record 37 rollovers, the Mega Millions jackpot reached a staggering US$1.05 billion when the draw's winning numbers were matched by a lucky ticket purchased in Novi, Michigan on 22 January 2021.

The jackpot was won by a 4-member syndicate called the "Wolverine FF Club" who came forward to claim their winnings on 12 March 2021. "This kind of money will impact the families of our club members for generations to come. We plan to stay humble and pay it forward through charitable giving in southeast Michigan," read a statement on behalf of the anonymous group. Wolverine FFL Club chose to split the one-time lump sum amount of US$766 million.

5. Anonymous - 26 March 2024 - US$1.13 Billion

A Mega Millions ticket purchased in New Jersey secured the fifth-largest jackpot in the game's history. The draw awarded an estimated US$1.13 billion to the sole ticket holder after several rollovers. Officials confirmed the win in New Jersey but did not immediately disclose the specific location where the winning ticket was sold.

The winning draw consisted of the numbers 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, with the Mega Ball being 4.

4. Anonymous - 29 July 2022 - US$1.337 Billion

In the spring of 2022, Mega Millions spread lottery mania throughout the whole world as no one could stop talking about its incredible, record-breaking top prize. Months of rollovers culminated in one of the most dramatic draws in lottery history on 29 July 2022, when the seemingly unwinnable jackpot was finally captured by a single winning ticket.

Two lucky winners from Illinois, USA had all five winning numbers – 13, 36, 45, 57, 67 – and the Mega Ball, 14. Higher than expected sales kept pushing the final prize higher and higher, right up to a US$1.337 billion total, (worth US$780.5 million as a lump sum), that was tantalisingly close to breaking the all-time record.

3. LaKoma Island Investments, LLC - 13 January 2023 - US$1.348 Billion

If you’re the superstitious type, you probably weren’t looking forward to Friday the 13th in January 2023 – but the day turned out to be as lucky as it gets for one Mega Millions player.

Matching all five regular numbers, 30, 43, 45, 46, and 61, as well as the Mega Ball 14, a single ticket purchased in the state of Maine was awarded the entire US$1.348 billion (US$723.5 million cash) jackpot – making it the very first Mega Millions jackpot won in the entire state. Although the winner remains anonymous, they have chosen to collect the cash option through a limited liability company, and "The winner is thoughtfully considering the best uses of the life-changing prize," a representative for the winner said in a statement.

As it stands, this jackpot is not only the second-biggest for Mega Millions - it’s also the fourth-largest of all time!

2. Anonymous - 23 October 2018 - US$1.537 Billion

A single ticket sold in South Carolina was the only winner of a US$1.537 billion (US$878 million cash) Mega Millions jackpot in the lottery’s draw on 23 October 2018.

The draw had been advertised with a US$1.6 billion jackpot and it looked like Mega Millions was set to replace Powerball with a new world's record for largest jackpot ever. But after the draw results were announced and it became known that there was a single winner in South Carolina, the final prize amount was slightly reduced because ticket sales had been lower than expected.

The winning numbers in the draw were the white balls 5, 28, 62, 65 and 70, plus the gold Mega Ball 5. The historic Mega Millions jackpot smashed the lottery's former record of US$656 million, set in March 2012. In addition to the jackpot winner, the sales frenzy produced an incredible 36 second prize tickets.

What was the biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever?

1. Saltines Holdings LLC - 8 August 2023 - US$1.602 Billion

A remarkable Mega Millions jackpot run finally came to an end after 31 drawings without a big win, Saltines Holdings LLC from Neptune Beach, Florida got to celebrate the Summer of 2023 with a record-sized MEGA jackpot, worth US$1.602 billion (US$794.2 million cash) after the 8 August 2023 lottery draw.

The winning numbers in the draw were the white balls 13, 19, 20, 32, and 33, and the gold Mega Ball 14. Previously, two Florida jackpot wins have been shared with other states, including last October's US$502 million prize shared with California.

When will Mega Millions highest jackpot record be broken?

There's no telling when the next Mega Millions highest jackpot record will be, but with so many Mega Millions fans competing against such low odds we're pretty confident the next epic prize is well on its way.

Will you secure your place in the history of the Mega Millions lottery by winning one of the biggest American lottery jackpots ever? There is only one way to find a place on the Mega Millions winners list! Get into the action and purchase your lottery tickets online today!