The jackpot for Saturday’s Powerball drawing has climbed to $1.7 billion — the third largest in U.S. lottery history — after 41 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner.
None of the 10 largest U.S. lottery prizes in lottery history have been won in New Jersey, with the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in the state last year ranking 11th. It’s by far the largest lottery prize won in the Garden State, though.
The lucky ticket for the March 26, 2024 drawing was sold at the ShopRite on Route 66 in Neptune Township, Monmouth County. The cash prize — worth $537.5 million cash before taxes — was claimed anonymously nearly 10 months later thanks to a state law adopted in 2020 that allows winners to shield their identity.
Here are the other winners of the 10 largest collected in the state:
10. $273 million Mega Millions jackpot on March 1, 2019 – Michael J. Weirsky, 54, of Alpha, Warren County bought the only ticket to match five numbers plus the Mega Ball and chose the cash option — worth $162.5 million before taxes.
9. $315.3 million Powerball jackpot on May 19, 2018. Tayeb Souami, a 55-year-old accountant from Little Ferry, was the sole winner of the drawing. His pre-tax prize was $183.2 million.
8. $330 million Mega Millions jackpot – Aug. 31, 2007. John and Sandy Belawsky of the Villas section of Lower Township held one of four jackpot winning tickets. The others were bought in Virginia, Texas and Maryland. The New Jersey retired couple chose the cash option — a prize of about $48.6 million before taxes.
7. $331 million The Big Game jackpot – April 16, 2002. One of the three jackpot-winning prizes was claimed by Jorge and Joanne Lopes of Manalapan. The other winning tickets were sold in Georgia and Illinois. The cash option of each ticket was worth about $58 million. The Big Game was re-named Mega Millions later in 2002.
6. $338.3 million Powerball jackpot – March 23, 2013. Pedro Quezada, a then 45-year-old from Passaic, won a lump sum of $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes.
5. $390 million Mega Millions jackpot – March 6, 2007. Elaine and Harold Messner, of the Tuckahoe section of Upper Township, claimed half of the prize – $195 million. They won $87.4 million after taxes were deducted. The other winning ticket was bought in Georgia.
4. $429.6 million Powerball jackpot – May 7, 2016. Pearlie Mae Smith, a then 70-year-old from Trenton and her seven adult children split the big prize — the cash option was $284.1 million before taxes. It was the sixth-largest Powerball prize at the time.
3. $448.4 million Powerball jackpot – Aug. 7, 2013. Two of the three jackpot-winning tickets were bought in New Jersey. A group of 16 co-workers at the Ocean County vehicle maintenance garage joined Mario Scarnici, of the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick as newly minted millionaires. The other ticket was bought in Minnesota.
2. $533 million Mega Millions jackpot – March 30, 2018. Richard Wahl, a then 47-year-old Vernon resident, took the cash option of $324 million before taxes. He has since moved to Florida.
1. $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot – March 26, 2024. Unknown.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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