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The mystery winner of the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot from March has finally stepped forward to claim the prize. The winning ticket, purchased at a ShopRite liquor store in Neptune Township, New Jersey, matched the numbers 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and the Gold Mega Ball 4. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, opted for the cash value of $537.5 million before taxes.
The jackpot, drawn on March 26, is the fifth largest in Mega Millions history and the ninth largest in U.S. lottery history. According to NBC New York, the winner manually selected the numbers and submitted the ticket to start the collection process.
New Jersey law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous indefinitely, and the winner's identity will not be disclosed. The ShopRite store that sold the winning ticket received a $30,000 commission. Patch.com reports that the ticket was sold in the liquor section of the store, located on Route 66.
The current Mega Millions jackpot is nearing $1 billion, with the next drawing scheduled for Tuesday (December 24). If no one wins, the jackpot could surpass $1 billion for the final drawing of the year on December 31.