With the Mega Millions jackpot at a whopping $868 million, wannabe winners might be pondering how it would feel to come into an amount that's larger than the entire economy of some small countries.
They also should consider how they'd keep their sudden windfall under wraps. While a winner's instinct might be to shout from the rooftops, experts say that one of the best ways to protect your newfound wealth is to avoid letting too many people know about it.
Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to do. While some states allow winners to easily remain anonymous, others do not. And in some states, as long as you plan ahead, you can create a trust or other legal entity to receive your winnings as a way to avoid your name being attached to the money. This makes it important to know your options before doing much of anything.
A woman jokingly holds up her Mega Millions Lotto tickets she purchased from Baycrest Wines & Spirits in Costa Mesa and proclaims, 'I've got the winning ticket.' (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
State laws against anonymity can help maintain the transparency of lottery wins. For the winner, however, coming forward can be stressful.
"Not only do they have to deal with the stress of a media event, and answering questions from a room full of cameras and reporters, but they're also concerned about their safety and the safety of their family," said Jason Kurland, a partner at Rivkin Radler, a law firm in Uniondale, New York.
The $868 million haul marks the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions' history. Between it and Powerball's top prize of $345 million, a combined $1.2 billion is waiting for winners. The next drawings are Wednesday night for Powerball and Friday night for Mega Millions.
Top 10 lottery jackpots Rank Amount Date won Game Winner locations 1 $1.586 billion Jan. 13, 2016 Powerball CA, FL, TN 2 $868 million ??? Mega Millions ??? 3 $758.7 million Aug. 23, 2017 Powerball MA 4 $656 million Mar. 30, 2012 Mega Millions KS, IL, MD 5 $648 million Dec. 17, 2013 Mega Millions CA, GA 6 $590.5 million 18-May-13 Powerball FL 7 $587.5 million Nov. 28, 2012 Powerball AZ, MO 8 $564.1 million Feb. 11, 2015 Powerball NC, PR, TX 9 $559.7 million Jan. 6, 2018 Powerball NH 10 $543 million 24-Jul-18 Mega Millions CA
And despite the astronomical odds against winning either game, at some point there will be jackpot winners.
"Once they get through the overwhelming process of winning, they have so many new opportunities in life that most people can only dream of," Kurland said.
For Mega Millions, your chance of winning is 1 in 302.6 million. For Powerball, it's 1 in 292 million. The chance of winning both is at least 1 in 88 quadrillion (that's 88 followed by 15 zeros).
If you happen to beat those odds, here are tips for trying to maintain a sense of privacy.
Get off the Internet
If the state where you purchased the ticket requires that your identity be publicly released, shut down your social media accounts in advance of claiming your win, Kurland said.
"The media will try to find as many pictures of a winner as possible, and social media is the first place to look," Kurland said. "You also want to make sure there's as little personal information out there like your phone number or address."
While any determined snooper or scammer could likely track you down, there's no reason to make it easy for them. Also, if you have a landline phone, consider making the number unlisted before you head to lottery headquarters.
Play Video This is what you do if you win the lottery Contain yourself
Even if you can claim your prize anonymously, it's still best to avoid sharing your exciting news with too many people.
"Obviously it may be impossible to keep this from immediate family, but news like this travels quickly," Kurland said. "Try to keep the circle of people who know as small as possible."
Past prizewinners have discovered the hard way that long-lost friends and relatives can come out of the woodwork looking for loans or handouts.
Plan an escape
If you have to claim your win publicly, consider skipping town immediately after claiming the prize.
"Just being out of town for a few days can help," Kurland said. "In this 24-hour news cycle, the interest in a winner will hopefully disappear after a few days.
"If you can avoid being around for a week, you might be able to escape the initial exposure."
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