Single ticket holder in US scoops nearly $1.3bn lottery prize

The ticket was purchased by a person living in the US state of Illinois.

Single ticket-holder in US scoops nearly $1.3bn lottery prize iStock

A single ticket holder in the US has scooped nearly $1.3bn in the Mega Millions lottery.

It was announced on Saturday that the ticket was purchased by an individual living in the state of Illinois.

The odds of winning the monumental $1.28bn jackpot were one in 302.5 million.

The jackpot grew to an astronomical amount after there were 29 consecutive draws without a winner.

It is also the second-largest jackpot for any US lottery game.

In 2018, the largest ever Mega Millions total of $1.5bn was won by a single ticket holder in South Carolina in 2018.

The winner of the £1.3bn prize can either claim the money in the annuity option, which spreads the amount over 30 annual payments.

Or they can also choose a cash option for an estimated $747.2m.

They will join the list of the world’s richest people.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk ranks top of the list with an estimated fortune of $209bn, while Jeff Bezos has a fortune of an estimated $126bn.

Earlier this month, it was announced that a UK ticketholder had won the EuroMillions jackpot of £195m.

One ticket matched all seven numbers, including the Lucky Star numbers, to become the biggest winner of all time.

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