SIMPSONVILLE: Nearly everybody in this small South Carolina the town has a concept for the city's billion-dollar mystery: Who won the $1.five billion Mega Millions jackpot introduced remaining October?
Maybe the winner was once so crushed upon seeing the profitable numbers that she or he died at the spot? Maybe the winner is at the run from police and fears a background take a look at? Maybe that profitable price tag fell from a automobile visor, ended up in a trash can and is perpetually buried on the Twin Chimneys Landfill.
Or possibly, the winner remains to be happening with lifestyles as standard, prior to quietly taking the $878 million lump sum.
With less than two months to go, the clock is ticking. Whoever won the second one biggest lottery in US historical past has until five pm on April 19 to stroll into the South Carolina Lottery office in Columbia with the signed price tag and declare the jackpot.
The profitable price tag was once sold on the KC Mart in Simpsonville someday between October 20 and the drawing at 11 pm on October 23.
Store employee Jee Patel mentioned State Law Enforcement Division agents were waiting within the car parking zone when employees got here to open at 6 am tomorrow.
"We didn't even know we sold the winner yet," Patel mentioned, adding agents straight away took the surveillance tapes away.
"We haven't seen them. I don't know when we sold it or who we sold it to."
Simpsonville is a swiftly growing suburb of about 22,000 other folks south of Greenville. The store is clear of the suburban core on a two-lane street previous the four-way forestall and a number of other lately built subdivisions.
Everyone entering the shop on a recent chilly wintry weather day figured the profitable price tag was once sold to any individual residing or operating within sight.
Christian Porchak lives a mile from the KC Mart, where he bought tickets for the big drawing. He felt a short lived rush when he heard it sold the winner.
Just as temporarily, although, his hopes were dashed as he checked his numbers over — and over — once more: "I know I checked each and every price tag I purchased.
But there is that nagging feeling that possibly I did not take a look at each and every one."
As with all great mysteries, there are some a long way out conspiracy theories.
Chris Watson prepares hot canines and hamburgers on the KC Mart's grill. He wonders if Mega Millions ever deliberate to award the jackpot in any respect, as an alternative the usage of it as an excuse to promote more tickets.
"What I don't understand is why does the money have to go back? Why can't they just use it for another jackpot?" Watson mentioned.
If the price tag is going unclaimed, the $1.five billion prize can be redistributed to the 44 states along side the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.
One giant loser could be South Carolina, which had budgeted a $61 million income tax providence from the winner however had to remove that estimate — about 0.five in step with cent of the state's annual spending plan.
Every taxpayer in South Carolina can have a dinner out at the line. A lawmaker has positioned a suggestion within the state price range that might give up to a $50 rebate to each one that files income taxes — however only if the state gets its taxes from the lottery winner.
Another giant loser will be the store's owner, who would possibly not obtain his $50,000 bonus if the price tag isn't claimed.
But Patel mentioned the shop got a large spice up in gross sales within the weeks after promoting the profitable price tag and nonetheless gets individuals who suppose the good fortune will rub off on them. That's why the half-dozen signs announcing "WE SOLD A WINNING MEGA MILLIONS TICKET WORTH $1.5 BILLION" will stay up, Patel mentioned.
Jackpots, even giant ones, have long past unclaimed prior to. But this one dwarfs all of them.
Gordon Medenica, lead director for the Mega Millions consortium, mentioned the most important Mega Millions jackpot to go unclaimed was once a $68 million prize in 2002. That price tag was once sold in New York.
Two profitable tickets were sold for a $103.five million jackpot in 2002 however one price tag — sold in Indiana — was once by no means claimed, mentioned Wendy Ahlm with the New Mexico lottery that currently oversees Powerball.
States range in how lengthy avid gamers have to say their prizes. Medenica mentioned he wouldn't expect any individual to return forward straight away. Winners ceaselessly first get prison and financial recommendation, and he'd heard theories that the winner was once waiting until 2019 for tax causes. And in South Carolina, as in a handful of different states, winners can stay anonymous, averting publicity.
"Now we're sort of running out of reasons on why anyone would wait this long," he mentioned.
But there were waits prior to now for winners to step forward.
The largest jackpot in U.S. historical past, a $1.586 billion Powerball prize, was once won on Jan. 13, 2016, by way of consumers in California, Tennessee and Florida.
The California winners didn't come forward until about six months later, officers mentioned.
"The larger the prize the longer it takes," mentioned Russ Lopez, from the California Lottery.
"That's an amazing amount of money. Their life is going to change."
Back in Simpsonville, theories proceed to swirl. Lloyd Hall cuts hair in town. He heard one hearsay that the winner labored at a large transmission plant kilometers away however is now simply waiting as a result of he doesn't need co-workers to understand.
Another hearsay has it that an office pool on the plant bought the price tag however now they are arguing while lawyers negotiate.
"I'm starting to think we will never know," Hall mentioned.
Maybe the winner was once so crushed upon seeing the profitable numbers that she or he died at the spot? Maybe the winner is at the run from police and fears a background take a look at? Maybe that profitable price tag fell from a automobile visor, ended up in a trash can and is perpetually buried on the Twin Chimneys Landfill.
Or possibly, the winner remains to be happening with lifestyles as standard, prior to quietly taking the $878 million lump sum.
With less than two months to go, the clock is ticking. Whoever won the second one biggest lottery in US historical past has until five pm on April 19 to stroll into the South Carolina Lottery office in Columbia with the signed price tag and declare the jackpot.
The profitable price tag was once sold on the KC Mart in Simpsonville someday between October 20 and the drawing at 11 pm on October 23.
Store employee Jee Patel mentioned State Law Enforcement Division agents were waiting within the car parking zone when employees got here to open at 6 am tomorrow.
"We didn't even know we sold the winner yet," Patel mentioned, adding agents straight away took the surveillance tapes away.
"We haven't seen them. I don't know when we sold it or who we sold it to."
Simpsonville is a swiftly growing suburb of about 22,000 other folks south of Greenville. The store is clear of the suburban core on a two-lane street previous the four-way forestall and a number of other lately built subdivisions.
Everyone entering the shop on a recent chilly wintry weather day figured the profitable price tag was once sold to any individual residing or operating within sight.
Christian Porchak lives a mile from the KC Mart, where he bought tickets for the big drawing. He felt a short lived rush when he heard it sold the winner.
Just as temporarily, although, his hopes were dashed as he checked his numbers over — and over — once more: "I know I checked each and every price tag I purchased.
But there is that nagging feeling that possibly I did not take a look at each and every one."
As with all great mysteries, there are some a long way out conspiracy theories.
Chris Watson prepares hot canines and hamburgers on the KC Mart's grill. He wonders if Mega Millions ever deliberate to award the jackpot in any respect, as an alternative the usage of it as an excuse to promote more tickets.
"What I don't understand is why does the money have to go back? Why can't they just use it for another jackpot?" Watson mentioned.
If the price tag is going unclaimed, the $1.five billion prize can be redistributed to the 44 states along side the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.
One giant loser could be South Carolina, which had budgeted a $61 million income tax providence from the winner however had to remove that estimate — about 0.five in step with cent of the state's annual spending plan.
Every taxpayer in South Carolina can have a dinner out at the line. A lawmaker has positioned a suggestion within the state price range that might give up to a $50 rebate to each one that files income taxes — however only if the state gets its taxes from the lottery winner.
Another giant loser will be the store's owner, who would possibly not obtain his $50,000 bonus if the price tag isn't claimed.
But Patel mentioned the shop got a large spice up in gross sales within the weeks after promoting the profitable price tag and nonetheless gets individuals who suppose the good fortune will rub off on them. That's why the half-dozen signs announcing "WE SOLD A WINNING MEGA MILLIONS TICKET WORTH $1.5 BILLION" will stay up, Patel mentioned.
Jackpots, even giant ones, have long past unclaimed prior to. But this one dwarfs all of them.
Gordon Medenica, lead director for the Mega Millions consortium, mentioned the most important Mega Millions jackpot to go unclaimed was once a $68 million prize in 2002. That price tag was once sold in New York.
Two profitable tickets were sold for a $103.five million jackpot in 2002 however one price tag — sold in Indiana — was once by no means claimed, mentioned Wendy Ahlm with the New Mexico lottery that currently oversees Powerball.
States range in how lengthy avid gamers have to say their prizes. Medenica mentioned he wouldn't expect any individual to return forward straight away. Winners ceaselessly first get prison and financial recommendation, and he'd heard theories that the winner was once waiting until 2019 for tax causes. And in South Carolina, as in a handful of different states, winners can stay anonymous, averting publicity.
"Now we're sort of running out of reasons on why anyone would wait this long," he mentioned.
But there were waits prior to now for winners to step forward.
The largest jackpot in U.S. historical past, a $1.586 billion Powerball prize, was once won on Jan. 13, 2016, by way of consumers in California, Tennessee and Florida.
The California winners didn't come forward until about six months later, officers mentioned.
"The larger the prize the longer it takes," mentioned Russ Lopez, from the California Lottery.
"That's an amazing amount of money. Their life is going to change."
Back in Simpsonville, theories proceed to swirl. Lloyd Hall cuts hair in town. He heard one hearsay that the winner labored at a large transmission plant kilometers away however is now simply waiting as a result of he doesn't need co-workers to understand.
Another hearsay has it that an office pool on the plant bought the price tag however now they are arguing while lawyers negotiate.
"I'm starting to think we will never know," Hall mentioned.
Unclaimed $1.5B jackpot mystery: Winner died? Ticket lost?
![Unclaimed $1.5B jackpot mystery: Winner died? Ticket lost?]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
February 25, 2019
Rating:
