While Friday 13 is usually considered an unlucky day, the superstition didn't ring true for one US lottery player - who won a mammoth jackpot estimated to be worth $1.35 billion.
The unidentified American is said to have purchased the winning ticket in Maine ahead of Friday's Mega Millions draw, which held the second-largest jackpot in the game's entire history according to lottery officials.
The sole ticket holder is said to be the only person to match all six winning numbers of 30, 43, 45, 46 and 61, as well as the coveted gold Mega Ball of 14.
Read more: EuroMillions winner tells US chat show host Dr Phil 'I wish I'd never won' lottery
Speaking on the win, Pat McDonald - who is the lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium - said: “Congratulations to the Maine State Lottery, which has just won its first-ever Mega Millions jackpot.
“It’s the fourth billion-dollar jackpot in Mega Millions history. We thank all our retailers for their hard work during this spectacular run, and our customers for their enthusiasm and support. I hope the fun and excitement Mega Millions has generated inspires a winning attitude in our daily lives and towards everyone we meet. Here’s to a good year!”
In Pound Sterling, the fantastic figure amounts to around £1.1bn - a sum of truly life changing money. For context, the highest ever sum won on EuroMillions by a UK ticket holder was £195m in 2022 - with only 15 people across the nation ever winning a prize exceeding £100m.
However, the lucky US resident who struck gold on Friday will now have a tough decision to make.
That's because the Mega Millions offers two options to prize winners. The first option is to see the prize paid out in annual instalments over 30 years, with each instalment being five per cent larger than the last.
Mega Millions say that this: "helps protects winners' lifestyle and purchasing power in periods of inflation".
The second option sees the prize-holder claim a one-off, lump payment - equal to the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool. The lump sum for Friday's draw is estimated to sit in the region of $724.6m.
Would you take the annual payment option or a one-off lump sum? Let us know in the comments.
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