800,000,000 dollars: The biggest win of the year in the USA
One lucky winner in Florida scooped up the biggest prize of the year in Mega Millions. The win broke a drought of 38 consecutive draws without a winner.
A lucky Mega Millions ticket holder scooped up a massive prize of approximately 800 million dollars this past Tuesday. This represents the largest prize of the game in 2026 and the tenth largest in the history of Mega Millions.
According to a report in the New York Post, the winner, a Florida resident whose identity remains undisclosed, successfully matched all five numbers as well as the golden 'Mega Ball'. Should the winner opt for the standard one-time cash payout, the amount drops to 344.2 million dollars, as the 800 million figure is calculated based on 30 annual installments. After a mandatory 24% federal tax withholding, the estimated take-home amount will be approximately 261.6 million dollars.
In addition to the jackpot winner, two other players secured significant secondary prizes after matching the five white numbers: a 3 million dollar ticket was sold at 'Corner Market' in Buffalo, New York, and a 5 million dollar ticket was sold in Illinois.
Breaking the drought
The current 800 million dollar prize surpassed the 656 million dollar jackpot shared in March 2012 by winners from Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland. This marks only the third time the top prize has been claimed in 2026, ending a drought of 38 consecutive draws without a winner. Previous wins occurred on March 17 (60 million dollars) and March 10 (536 million dollars).
For Florida, this is the sixth Mega Millions grand prize win. The state previously saw success in August 2023, when a historic 1.62 billion dollar record was set.
For those who did not win, another opportunity awaits tonight (Wednesday) in the Powerball draw, where the grand prize is estimated at 663 million dollars.
