Last week we brought you the news that a massive Mega Millions prize had been won, and with that news we explained that in Florida, where the ticket was sold players aren’t allowed to remain anonymous. Well, now the $450,000,000 winner has been named and it’s Shane Missler, a 20-year-old from Port Richey, Florida.
Missler immediately quit his job upon winning and who can blame him. He realised he was the winner pretty quickly, updating his Facebook status with the words ‘Oh. My. God’ about half an hour after the draw. Pretty soon he was confirmed as the sole winner of the $450,000,000 jackpot the fourth biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpot in American history.
The winning ticket was purchased in the 7-Eleven in Port Richey after Missler had won on a scratch card and used the winnings to buy Mega Millions tickets. He says he had a good feeling about the ticket and was feeling lucky on the day. Now he says he is hoping to take care of his family, ensuring financial security and is hoping to leave a legacy far into the future. Sensibly he’s already taken a crash course in financial wealth and that should help him deal with the burden of such huge wealth at a young age.
Missler took his winnings as a lump sum, as per lottery rules and will collect the lump sum payment of $281,000,000 before taxes. His winnings will be paid into a trust fund in his name, the fourth biggest Mega Millions winner of all time.
Winning such a huge sum is fantastic, but it also comes with great pressures. We hope that this lucky winner can overcome those pressures and make the most of this fantastic win.