Mega Millions Mania: Were You the Lucky Winner of $815M on 3/15?

Mega Millions

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Mega Millions mania across the United States on Friday, March 15 as the jackpot soared to an incredible $815 million – the third largest prize in the game’s history. Lottery fever gripped the nation as people rushed to buy tickets for a chance at this life-changing windfall.

The winning numbers for the $815 million Mega Millions jackpot on 3/15/2024 were:

5 – 12 – 22 – 41 – 65, Mega Ball: 13

Were you the incredibly fortunate player who matched all six magic numbers? If so, your life just changed forever with an $815 million infusion to your bank account!

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, which explains why it had been rolling over since mid-January to reach this astronomical level.

The jackpot had been fluctuating based on game sales, but settled at $815 million for the highly anticipated 3/15 drawing. This was the third-highest Mega Millions prize ever, behind the $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018 and $1.05 billion won in Michigan in 2021.

So did Lady Luck smile upon you last night? If you purchased a Mega Millions ticket for 3/15, you’ll want to quickly check those numbers and sign that ticket if you’re the new multi-millionaire! Even if you didn’t win the jackpot, there were lower-tier prizes awarded as well.

The jackpot resets to $20 million for the next drawing on Tuesday, 3/19. But one thing is for sure – Friday’s $815 million bonanza created a serious case of Mega Millions mania! Let us know if you were the fortunate winner in the comments below.

The top Mega Millions jackpots:

The Frenzy Surrounding the $815M Jackpot

In the days leading up to the March 15 drawing, the lottery frenzy reached a fever pitch as the Mega Millions jackpot climbed over the $800 million mark. Across social media, people were abuzz over the potential winnings and what they might do with that much cash.

Many dreamed of quitting their jobs, paying off debt, buying dream homes and cars, taking luxurious vacations, and giving generously to family, friends and charities. Some even fantasized about starting their own businesses or foundations to give back.

Long lines formed at gas stations, supermarkets and other lottery retailers as people hoped to get their hands on the golden ticket. According to lottery officials, Mega Millions had been selling around 30 million game tickets per drawing in recent weeks.

The Mega Millions website even experienced outages at times due to the extreme spike in traffic in the hours before the drawing as people checked the jackpot amount and tried to purchase tickets online.

What’s Next for the Lucky Winner?

If there is indeed a single jackpot winner for last night’s $815 million prize, they will have a big decision to make – whether to take the cash option lump sum of around $428 million or receive the full amount in 30 annuity payments over 29 years.

Financial experts recommend taking the lump sum to have more flexibility and control over the winnings. However, the annuity option provides a steady stream of income that may be preferable for some.

The winner will also need to decide relatively quickly whether to stay anonymous or go public, as some states require winners’ names to be released. They’ll likely want to assemble a team of financial advisors to help manage and protect their newfound fortune.

Of course, the first priority for any lottery winners is to secure their ticket and avoid losing it! There have been plenty of hard luck cases of people leaving millions unclaimed.

So again, if you played Mega Millions on 3/15, triple check those numbers right away! Even the slightest chance at that $815 million is worth investigating thoroughly. That really would be Mega Millions mania come true!