TAMPA (WFLA) – The identity of the lucky Mega Millions winner who claimed the record breaking $1.6 billion jackpot will not be released for now, thanks to some creativity on the part of the winner.
The Florida Lottery announced the jackpot was claimed by Saltines Holdings, LLC. The LLC chose to receive the winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $794,248,882.
An LLC is a business structure in the U.S. that protects its owners from personal responsibility for its debts or liabilities. By claiming the prize using an LLC, the winner of the ticket cleverly avoided having to reveal their identity.
In Florida, where the ticket was claimed, the name of the owner of an LLC is a matter of public record, but the winner of the jackpot filed the LLC in Delaware, a state where the owner of an LLC is not public.
The jackpot-winning ticket, sold at Publix located at 630 Atlantic Boulevard in Neptune Beach on Aug. 8, surpassed the previous record of $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.
The jackpot climbed after 32 rollovers from April to August of 2023, and according to the Florida Lottery also contributed $73.4 million to education in the state.