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$1.05B Mega Millions jackpot winners announced from January drawing
By Daniella Genovese
Published March 12, 2021
A Michigan lottery club has claimed January's $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the third-largest lottery prize in history.
Four members of the Detroit-based Wolverine FLL Club, whose names were not released, hit the big winnings during the historic Jan. 22 drawing.
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However, the original payment of $776 million decreased to about $557 million after federal and state taxes were withheld, according to Michigan Lottery officials.
The club chose to collect the winnings as a one-time lump sum payment instead of receiving annuity payments for the full amount.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Kroger store in Novi, Michigan, which will also receive its own prize for selling the ticket.
"A club member saw a sign that the jackpot was up to $1 billion and remembered that they hadn’t bought their tickets yet, so they pulled into the Kroger," the club's representative and attorney Kurt Panouses, said.
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Panouses said that the money will "impact the families of our club members for generations to come." However, the members have vowed to "stay humble and pay it forward through charitable giving in southeast Michigan," he said.
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Kroger received a $50,000 bonus commission and plans to donate the money to the Food Bank Council of Michigan, according to the Michigan Lottery.
"Kroger is committed to our mission of feeding our communities," Kroger spokesperson Rachel Hurst, said. "Strong partnerships with both the state of Michigan and the Food Bank Council of Michigan are integral in driving our mission forward."
Prior to their win, the largest prize ever won by a Michigan player was a $337 million Powerball jackpot in August 2012, according to lottery officials.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/1-05b-mega-millions-jackpot-winners-announced-from-january-drawing