SAN JOSE — It may be a few days until the lucky person who purchased the winning Mega Millions ticket worth more than a half-billion dollars at a San Jose liquor store steps forward. Lottery officials advise winners of big jackpots to consult financial advisers and attorneys before claiming their prize.
“It would be out of the ordinary for someone to step forward today,” Greg Parashak, a spokesman for the California Lottery, said Wednesday morning. “But anything is possible. They could walk in at any time.”
Wednesday, officials with the California Lottery announced a revised jackpot based on final sales at $543 million (op from an estimated $522 million). The final lump-sum cash option is $320.5 million, before taxes.
The California Lottery on Tuesday night announced that the lone winning $543 million Mega Millions ticket was sold at Ernie’s Liquors on South White Road. The jackpot is the third largest in the game’s history and the seventh to exceed $400 million.
Wednesday morning, officials from the California Lottery presented the liquor store owners with a check for $1 million. Lottery officials say the cap for store owners who sell winning tickets is $1 million.
This marks the second time a San Jose store has sold a winning Mega Millions ticket with a monster jackpot. In December, 2013, a gift shop on Tully Road sold a winning ticket for a $656 million jackpot, one of two winning tickets.
In that case, the winner, identified only as Steve Tran of Northern California, waited about three weeks before stepping forward to claim $173.8 million, before taxes.
UPDATE: Only one #MegaMillions ticket matched all 6 numbers to win $522 MILLION!! And that ticket was sold in #SanJose at Ernie's Liquors. #CALottery
— California Lottery (@calottery) July 25, 2018
The sum of Wednesday’s jackpot had been multiplying rapidly since the last time it was won on May 4. It hit $375 million on July 14 and $493 million on Saturday.
“This has been an exciting roll,” said Gordon Medenica, Mega Millions lead director. “Congratulations to California for taking home the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.”
Kewal Sachdev, 65, the owner of Ernie’s Liquors, was at his San Jose home taking a nap when an employee called him with the news that the store had sold a winning ticket.
He was stunned. Nothing like it has happened in the 18 years he has owned the store.
“We were wishing,” he said in an interview at his store. “And the wish came true today.’
“I’m still digesting what happened,” he added. “I don’t know at this time how to react.”
Sachdev said word that a winning ticket was purchased at his store will be good for business.
“People are going to think this is a lucky store,” he said.
The store sold as many as 4,000 tickets ahead of the most recent drawing, which wasn’t much considering the size of the jackpot, Sachdev said. Lotto fever just didn’t seem to take hold this time.
But what happened Wednesday night more than made up for it.
“I’m processing the whole thing,” Sachdev said. “In a couple of days, we’ll figure out what happened and what to do about it.”
John Nguyen, 35, of San Jose heard the news and drove over to check out Ernie’s Liquors. He plays the lottery every week, but he has never purchased a ticket from Sachdev’s store
“Most definitely,” he said when asked if he was going to change things up. “I’ll try it.”
Nguyen also had a message for the new half-billionaire.
“The winner is going to need a financial adviser. And I am one,” he said. “So they can call me.”
Eight other tickets matched the five white balls to win the game’s second prize, six worth $1 million each, and two that included the optional Megaplier and are worth $3 million each
The Mega Millions numbers drawn Tuesday night were: 1-2-4-19-29. The Megaball was 20.
