The 10 BIGGEST Lottery Jackpots EVER! (3 of 6)

7. $1.54 billion — Simpsonville, South Carolina — October 2018

On October 23, 2018, the tiny town of Simpsonville, South Carolina, became the center of the jackpot lottery universe. That’s where one lucky individual had purchased the winning ticket at KC Mart worth $1.54 billion. But as days turned into weeks and weeks became months, nobody had stepped forward to claim their winnings. That is, until right around the one-year deadline to do so. That’s when the mystery winner quietly collected an $878 million lump sum anonymously. Talk about keeping everybody in suspense!

6. $1.59 billion — Tennessee, Florida, and California — January 2016

As we mentioned in the intro, January 2016 was when the jackpot reached the billion-dollar threshold for the first time ever. Lottery ticket buyers were lining up for blocks on end in hopes of becoming ridiculously wealthy. The prize was split between three winners from Tennessee, Florida, and California. John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, appeared on live TV to announce they had won even before claiming their portion. Moren Smith from Melbourne Beach, Florida, said she had been playing the same numbers for years before finally hitting it big. Finally, Marvin and May Costa from Chino Hills, California, assembled a team of advisors to make sure everything went smoothly before coming forward several months later. They stated they would donate most of their money to charity.