PHOENIX — Two people are waking up to find themselves millions of dollars richer.
The holders of a ticket sold in Idaho and another in Washington state will be sharing Mega Millions' $355 million jackpot from Tuesday night's drawing, lottery officials said Wednesday.
The prize is the fourth-largest in U.S. history and the second-largest in Mega Millions history, said Arizona Lottery spokeswoman Cindy Esquer. The lottery's prize of $390 million in March 2007 remains the nation's richest on record.
The two winners from Tuesday will each get $177.5 million. Besides the jackpot, prizes range from $2 to $250,000.
The princely sum drew huge interest across the country as thousands of people lined up to buy tickets in 41 states and Washington, D.C., where the game is available.
Hundreds of people poured into the tiny Arizona towns of Littlefield and Beaver Dam, crossing into the state from Nevada and Utah, where Mega Millions tickets are not sold.
At Rosie's Cafe on U.S. 93 north of Kingman near the Nevada line, hundreds drove in over the weekend to buy tickets for the Mega Millions game.
"The line was going out the door," with 500 or more in line at times on Saturday and Sunday, said waitress and cashier Christine Millim.
Jackpot winners for the Mega Millions game have to match five regular numbers plus the "Mega ball." The winning numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25 and 47, with 42 being the Mega Ball number.
One dollar was all it took to buy a chance at millions of dollars — and a lofty dream.
"I'm going to take care of my family — buy them new houses, new cars and travel a little bit," said Larry White, who bought a ticket in Atlanta.
Others said they would use the money to start foundations, retire or take vacations.
Sheila Twine, in Atlanta, said she would pay off her and her daughter's bills and help people in need.
With all this money, I could help a lot of people," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The holders of a ticket sold in Idaho and another in Washington state will be sharing Mega Millions' $355 million jackpot from Tuesday night's drawing, lottery officials said Wednesday.
The prize is the fourth-largest in U.S. history and the second-largest in Mega Millions history, said Arizona Lottery spokeswoman Cindy Esquer. The lottery's prize of $390 million in March 2007 remains the nation's richest on record.
The two winners from Tuesday will each get $177.5 million. Besides the jackpot, prizes range from $2 to $250,000.
The princely sum drew huge interest across the country as thousands of people lined up to buy tickets in 41 states and Washington, D.C., where the game is available.
Hundreds of people poured into the tiny Arizona towns of Littlefield and Beaver Dam, crossing into the state from Nevada and Utah, where Mega Millions tickets are not sold.
At Rosie's Cafe on U.S. 93 north of Kingman near the Nevada line, hundreds drove in over the weekend to buy tickets for the Mega Millions game.
"The line was going out the door," with 500 or more in line at times on Saturday and Sunday, said waitress and cashier Christine Millim.
Jackpot winners for the Mega Millions game have to match five regular numbers plus the "Mega ball." The winning numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25 and 47, with 42 being the Mega Ball number.
One dollar was all it took to buy a chance at millions of dollars — and a lofty dream.
"I'm going to take care of my family — buy them new houses, new cars and travel a little bit," said Larry White, who bought a ticket in Atlanta.
Others said they would use the money to start foundations, retire or take vacations.
Sheila Twine, in Atlanta, said she would pay off her and her daughter's bills and help people in need.
With all this money, I could help a lot of people," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ironically, the towns where they were hit were small towns 125 miles apart. That would probably mean that the numbers were picked from the same data base, assuming that they both used quick picks instead of picking their own numbers. If it is their own numbers, it was probably birthdays, anniversaries or some other nonsense like that.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – No, Carolyn, it's not a heart attack. It's a fortune.
The man who bought one of two winning tickets in the $380 million Mega Millions lottery frightened his wife when he woke her Tuesday night to share the life-changing news.
"I was pale, shaking. She thought I was having a heart attack," retiree Jim McCullar recalled.
When his wife, Carolyn, asked if he was OK, he replied: "I'm perfect."
On Thursday, the couple and their adult children stepped forward to publicly claim one half of the second-largest lottery jackpot in history. Whoever is holding the other winning ticket, purchased in neighboring Idaho, remained a mystery.
At a news conference in Washington's capital city, the McCullars took hold of the oversized check, marveling at all the zeros in $190 million. Jim McCullar, 68, then promptly handed it over to his wife, 63.
"We've been married 41 years," he said. "I know what to do with this check."
In Washington, no state taxes would apply. The lump sum payment would be $90 million after the 25 percent federal tax. The McCullars said they hadn't decided how to take the payment.
In Idaho, the lucky winner has the option of taking a nearly $81 million lump sum payment after state and federal taxes are withheld, state lottery officials said.
Jim McCullar, a retired Boeing Co. worker, bought his ticket at a supermarket in Ephrata in eastern Washington, about 125 miles from Post Falls, Idaho, a suburb of Spokane, Wash., where the other ticket was sold.
The winners had to match five numbers plus the "Mega ball." The numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25 and 47, and 42 as the Mega ball.
The McCullars have played some combination of those numbers for years because they're based on the couple's birthdays. It has worked before: Jim McCullar said he won about $18,000 several years ago playing similar numbers on a keno game in Oregon.
The prospect of winning the enormous jackpot drew huge interest across the country as thousands of people lined up to buy tickets in the 41 states and Washington, D.C., where the lottery is held.
In March 2007, two winners, in Georgia and New Jersey, shared the richest prize — a $390 million Mega Millions jackpot.
Jim McCullar said he had rough plans to give some donations to charities, though he declined to name which ones. He has already given his notice at the real estate company where he was working.
The couple has been house hunting, and knows they can afford a larger place — but not too big, he said. An RV might be in their future to visit friends and family around the country, and to "hide out" for a while.
McCullar said the money will, of course, help his large extended family: six children, including two from an earlier marriage; 23 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
"The legacy is going to go generation after generation after generation," he said. "We're not going to blow this."
The man who bought one of two winning tickets in the $380 million Mega Millions lottery frightened his wife when he woke her Tuesday night to share the life-changing news.
"I was pale, shaking. She thought I was having a heart attack," retiree Jim McCullar recalled.
When his wife, Carolyn, asked if he was OK, he replied: "I'm perfect."
On Thursday, the couple and their adult children stepped forward to publicly claim one half of the second-largest lottery jackpot in history. Whoever is holding the other winning ticket, purchased in neighboring Idaho, remained a mystery.
At a news conference in Washington's capital city, the McCullars took hold of the oversized check, marveling at all the zeros in $190 million. Jim McCullar, 68, then promptly handed it over to his wife, 63.
"We've been married 41 years," he said. "I know what to do with this check."
In Washington, no state taxes would apply. The lump sum payment would be $90 million after the 25 percent federal tax. The McCullars said they hadn't decided how to take the payment.
In Idaho, the lucky winner has the option of taking a nearly $81 million lump sum payment after state and federal taxes are withheld, state lottery officials said.
Jim McCullar, a retired Boeing Co. worker, bought his ticket at a supermarket in Ephrata in eastern Washington, about 125 miles from Post Falls, Idaho, a suburb of Spokane, Wash., where the other ticket was sold.
The winners had to match five numbers plus the "Mega ball." The numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25 and 47, and 42 as the Mega ball.
The McCullars have played some combination of those numbers for years because they're based on the couple's birthdays. It has worked before: Jim McCullar said he won about $18,000 several years ago playing similar numbers on a keno game in Oregon.
The prospect of winning the enormous jackpot drew huge interest across the country as thousands of people lined up to buy tickets in the 41 states and Washington, D.C., where the lottery is held.
In March 2007, two winners, in Georgia and New Jersey, shared the richest prize — a $390 million Mega Millions jackpot.
Jim McCullar said he had rough plans to give some donations to charities, though he declined to name which ones. He has already given his notice at the real estate company where he was working.
The couple has been house hunting, and knows they can afford a larger place — but not too big, he said. An RV might be in their future to visit friends and family around the country, and to "hide out" for a while.
McCullar said the money will, of course, help his large extended family: six children, including two from an earlier marriage; 23 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
"The legacy is going to go generation after generation after generation," he said. "We're not going to blow this."
