Tonight, $940 million is up for grabs in the latest Mega Millions jackpot drawing. It’s a number that’s enough to help beat the January blues and possibly, like Charlie’s grandfather in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, get us all out of bed and down to a corner store or gas station in hopes of buying a bit (or a lot) of luck.
It’s hard to conceptualize a number that high, and that’s partly the point. The enormous winnings—the sixth-largest jackpot in history—are part of the “golden age of jackpots,” as the Associated Press calls it. It’s not just Mega Millions putting more on the line; these days, lotteries are more mega than usual.
