A single lottery ticket purchased in Florida matched all six numbers in Tuesday night's drawing to claim an estimated $800 million Mega Millions jackpot.
This is the largest lottery prize recorded so far in 2026.
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Winning Numbers and Jackpot History
The winning combination consisted of white balls 34, 48, 49, 59, and 70, along with the gold Mega Ball 12.
The grand prize accumulated over 37 consecutive drawings since mid-March.
The winner faced odds of 1 in 290.4 million to secure the grand prize.
This win is the tenth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the highest payout since November 2025.
Payout Options and Taxes
The Florida winner can choose between an $800 million annuity paid over 30 annual installments or a reduced cash option of $344.2 million.
Most top winners historically select the lump-sum payout.
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Opting for the immediate lump sum reduces the baseline cash payout to approximately $261.6 million after mandatory federal taxes of 24 percent.
Additional federal marginal income tax rates up to 37 percent further lower the final lump-sum cash total to $216.8 million.
If the winner selects the 30-year annuity, annual payments averaging $26.7 million would decrease to roughly $16.8 million per year after applying the top federal marginal tax rate.
Florida state law levies no additional state income tax on lottery prizes.
Second Mega Millions Win This Year
This is only the second Mega Millions grand prize win this year, following a $533 million jackpot won by an Illinois player in March.
Lottery officials noted this matches historical low points for jackpot distributions seen in 2024.
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Meanwhile, attention shifts to the ongoing Powerball draw scheduled for Wednesday evening, where the grand prize reached an estimated $663 million with a cash value of $290.4 million.
