Georgia Resident Wins $980M Mega Millions Jackpot — the Largest Lottery Prize in the State’s History

A Georgia resident just became the highest jackpot winner in the state’s history.

The Mega Millions Jackpot said in a news release on Saturday, Nov. 15, that a winner from Newnan won the jackpot, worth an estimated $980 million, after matching all six numbers on Friday, Nov. 14.

The winning numbers were “1-8-11-12-57” and the “Mega Ball was 7.”

This prize is the “highest single payout in Georgia Lottery history,” Mega Millions said. It surpasses the previous record of a $478.2 million jackpot that was won in Buford during an October 2024 drawing.

That prize was shared between two people, who selected the cash option of $230.6 million.

“We are thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in our state’s history,” said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin.

“With every Mega Millions ticket sold in Georgia supporting HOPE and Pre-K, Georgia’s students and families are also big winners. We appreciate our players and retailers for their support of our mission,” she added.

The winner of the latest lottery drawing — who has not been publicly identified — is estimated to take home a cash value of $452.2 million, should they choose to take home a one-time lump sum, according to the news release.

The winner can also receive the $980 million prize paid out over 30 years.

The winning “Quik Pik” ticket was purchased at a Publix in Newman — a city located 40 miles southwest of Atlanta.

The retailer will now earn a $50,000 “incentive bonus payment” for selling the winning lottery ticket. 

So far, there have been 17 Mega Millions jackpot winners in Georgia, according to The New York Post. 

The $980 million jackpot is the eighth-highest prize won in Mega Millions history. The top three highest Mega Million Jackpots were won in Florida ($1.6 billion), South Carolina ($15 billion) and Maine ($1.3 billion).

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The latest win comes over a year after Mega Millions announced that it would be increasing the prices of its lottery tickets, stating it would allow for “improved odds to win the jackpot,” “bigger jackpots more frequently,” “larger starting jackpots” and “faster growing jackpots,” per officials.

“We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, meaning creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots climb, plus this game will continue the important legacy of supporting great causes everywhere Mega Millions is played,” Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said at the time.