Arizona couple steps forward to claim $410 million Mega Millions jackpot

Jun 19, 2020, 3:54 pm (24 comments)

Mega Millions

Husband and wife receive the largest payout to any Arizona Lottery player in history

By Kate Northrop

GLENDALE, Az. — After it was announced that a lone winner from Arizona won big over a week ago, a couple from a residential area in Phoenix came forward on Thursday to claim the $410 million Mega Millions jackpot prize. It's the largest payout to any Arizona Lottery player ever and the 11th largest Mega Millions jackpot in history.

The Glendale husband and wife, 70 and 63 years-old respectively, matched all six numbers, 1, 5, 9, 10, and 23, along with the Mega Ball number 22, for the June 9 drawing. They chose to take the cash option over annual payments, which meant they took home a staggering $228 million after taxes.

The couple elected to remain anonymous as permitted by the state of Arizona. Recent legislation passed last August allows winners of jackpots of $100,000 or more request that their names not be made public. Before, state law had allowed winners to remain anonymous for only 90 days. The new measure to grant total anonymity aims to protect lottery winners from potential harassment or worse should their names become public.

(See Arizona becomes latest state to shield lottery winners' names, Lottery Post, Apr. 18, 2019.)

The winners did reveal a few details about their big win, despite keeping their identities a secret. One such detail was that they had picked their numbers based on family birthdays.

"My birthday is next month, and my left hand had been itching for two weeks, which meant money was coming my way," the wife said. "I also found a shiny new heads-up penny just before I bought our tickets, so I just knew I'd be lucky."

After faithfully playing the lottery for 38 years, their luck finally turned up.

"Of my God, oh my God, oh my God!" she exclaimed after discovering she won. She ran through the house to give her husband the unbelievable news, who is still in shock at instantly winning such an absurdly large amount of money.

"It's an amazing feeling, and this is proof that you can't win if you don't play," he remarked. "I feel lighter now, and it's incredible to know that there will never be another bill I can't pay."

Their newfound fortune will pay off their mortgage and support their children and grandchildren. They also plan to invest some of the money.

According to the Arizona Lottery, the lone winning ticket for the $410 million jackpot was sold at the Circle K at 67th Avenue and Beardsley Road in Glendale. The convenience store will receive a $50,000 commission for selling the ticket, which it plans to donate to United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona.

This jackpot had rolled 33 times since it was last won in New Jersey on February 11. The win marks the largest Mega Millions jackpot since the $522 million Mega Millions jackpot was claimed in California last September.

After jackpot was hit in Arizona, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was reset to its new starting point of $20 million — down from the previous starting point of $40 million, due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The next Mega Millions drawing will be held Friday night, featuring a jackpot of $26 million.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Party

Unlucky-Kenny's avatarUnlucky-Kenny

Congrats to the couple who won!

Glad their state allowed them to stay out of the lime light - will make managing it easier.

Too bad my state wants the big jackpot winners to get mugged -

brees2012's avatarbrees2012

Congrats to the winners!! 

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by Unlucky-Kenny on Jun 19, 2020

Congrats to the couple who won!

Glad their state allowed them to stay out of the lime light - will make managing it easier.

Too bad my state wants the big jackpot winners to get mugged -

I'm still surprised that Virginia became an anonymous state

but who knows thar may come a time all states will allow it 

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

Congratulations to the winners! Disney

EdG1955

Since it wasn't me, I'm glad it was at least a fellow Arizonan.  Congrats!!

MADDOG10's avatarMADDOG10

Excellent. enjoy your new found winnings.  Congratulations !

music*'s avatarmusic*

"OMG, OMG, OMG!!" she exclaimed. 

  I have to wait 38 years for my lucky day? Better late than never.

 I will guess that their grandchildren may spill the beans sometime in the future.

TYJ*ALL-DAY!'s avatarTYJ*ALL-DAY!

Enjoy that super-sized jackpot! Congratulations, T.Y.J.

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Party Congrats to the Anonymous Couple! Party

sdw1000

It's always old people. Not people like me that could use it to pay off student loans etc. People that are in retirement and probably won't even use all that money.

konane's avatarkonane

Congratulations to them on their epic win!  Party

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by sdw1000 on Jun 20, 2020

It's always old people. Not people like me that could use it to pay off student loans etc. People that are in retirement and probably won't even use all that money.

They have played the lottery for 38 years. They paid their dues and deserve the win. And just because people are older doesn't mean they don't need the money. If they don't use it all, the kids and grandkids can use it.

paneagle

MESSAGE TO THE ARIZONA LUCKY WINNERS  What you COULD REALLY DO with the money $$$$    HAPPY JULY 4th

After all, what is 400 Million good for? You can only only travel the world so many times if at all, build 100 houses to live in, or drive 100 Lamborghini's???

But you could.....SET UP A BANK TRUST..  Help people lose mortgage debt and interest banking loans. Help Eliminate income Taxes and Free People from debt.   The great idea is to use money to get people out of the money debt co-dependency condition. This is for TRUE INDEPENDENCE.

Support a network of land lovers and owners and people who build self sufficient or world sustaining gardens farming for FRE-SPONSIBLE LIVING  HYDROPONICS and TREE PLANTING Grow your own natural living clean water air and soil or integrated sustainable agriculture.

SAVE THE CHILDREN initiatives to protect the children from a life of slavery control pollution disease and locked up electronic home addiction                    Creating an EDUCATIONAL system of FREE STUDENT interactivity with a unified and active participation of students and teachers.             

BUILD A REAL FOUNDATION  HELP CREATE A FREE ENERGY GRID network which shares and gives everyone ACCESS TO FREE ENERGY

DO THINGS OF REAL BENEFIT TO ALL Giving the money to churches or a political party won't do a thing of real benefit. Help eliminate student debt and government loans will let many breathe much better.    MAKE THE WORLD A THREE WAY STREET OF COMMUNICATION-ACTION-AND VISION

Giving $$$ to Hospitals and Cancer or Corona research may be good, but won't eliminate Cancer or Covid but it will surely cause increased vaccination. 

THE REAL CURE is not money or medicine or education. Thus to truly identify the REAL CAUSE and BEST CURE is simply OXYGEN, and LIFE ITSELF.                    I HAD THE DREAM.. june 2020  I saw all the buildings around central park in New York falling like dominoes and the message GET OUT OF NY NOW                 Then I was in ARIZONA and I was going to go north to California. This was the MESSAGE and I know it relates to you and this 

I invite the lucky winners to ask me about this. I have no self interest or $$ profit motive of any kind. BUT.. i do see the CRISIS GOING ON.           PLEASE SEE that the current market of investment government korporations is not holding the answer. In fact they have created most of the problems.        WE HAVE TO BE THE ONES TO DO THIS..    WHY?  It is clear to see the government and business is not building this.   

If you wish to truly be and do for the GREATEST BENEFIT  I know the ways to make everyone win the REAL lottery and save the Planet too. 

HOW ABOUT IT? My contact is here through lotterypost or as paneagle7  on the g mail . I am creator of the ALTRUISM LOTTERY PROJECT. 

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