Player from Newnan, Georgia, Wins $980M Mega Millions Prize

An extremely lucky player in Georgia has made history by winning the $980 million Mega Millions jackpot, which is the largest jackpot ever won in the Peach State. The player has also become the recipient of one of the most substantial prizes ever offered by Mega Millions.

The Jackpot Has Finally Been Won

According to Mega Millions’ official announcement, the Friday drawing crowned a Newnan player as the winner of the mouth-watering $980 million jackpot. For context, the winning numbers for the November 14 drawing were 1, 8, 11, 12, and 57, with a Mega Ball of 7.

Lottery officials confirmed that the winning ticket was sold at Publix #1816, located at 4000 N. Highway 29 in Newnan. The store is eligible to receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

As mentioned, the incredible prize is the biggest jackpot ever won in Georgia, surpassing the $478.2 million Powerball jackpot that a player in Buford won in 2024. That prize had a cash option of $230.6 million.

For comparison, the $980 million Mega Millions jackpot has a cash value of $452.2 million before tax, should the winner opt to take the lump sum rather than the annuity. In any case, the Georgia Lottery provides winning players with 180 days to claim their prize.

The Largest Prize Since the Recent Mega Millions Changes

Gretchen Corbin, the president and chief executive officer of the Georgia Lottery, was excited about the win, saying that his team is thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in the Peach State’s history.

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.

Gretchen Corbin, president & CEO, Georgia Lottery

Joshua Johnston, the lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, was similarly excited about the huge prize. He noted that the prize is the largest that has been won since the Mega Millions changes in April.

Congratulations to our big winner from Georgia and to all our players who are winning more than ever with this new version of the game.

Joshua Johnson, lead director, Mega Millions Consortium

In other news, the North Carolina Education Lottery just announced that a player from Charlotte has won a life-changing $4 million prize from one of its scratch-off games.