AUGUSTA, Maine — The winner of the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot has come forward to accept their winnings through the limited liability company LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, according to a release from the Maine State Lottery.
The winning ticket was purchased for the Jan. 13 drawing at the Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, a town of fewer than 6,500 people. The store received a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
The winner chose the cash option, which is a one-time, lump-sum payment of $723,564,144 before taxes, the release stated. Winners can choose to get the full amount in annual payments over 29 years, or they can take a cash option.
“The winner is thoughtfully considering the best uses of the life-changing prize," a representative for the winner said in the release.
“We congratulate the winner of the Mega Millions jackpot and wish them all the best as they consider how to best use their recent winnings," Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations Deputy Director Michael Boardman added.
State lottery officials did not identify the winner by name.
This was the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot and fourth-largest lottery prize in the history of the U.S. There were 25 straight drawings without a winner across a span of three months.
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