South Carolina KC Mart Store sold $ 1,537 billion ticket
C.J. Patel talks to The Greenville News about the store selling the winning lottery ticket to Mega Millions.
Suzanne Slacas, left, and Terry Gist with SC Lottery hangs a banner at KC Mart in Simpsonville. Lottery officials said that some in South Carolina won the $ 1.6 billion record pot, Mega Millions jackpot, and at 11:00 AM announced that it was KC Mart # 7 at 303 Lee Vaughn Road in Simpsonville. [Photo: AnnaBMitchell / TheGreenvilleNews]
GREENVILLE, SC – CJ Patel's phone rang at 5 o'clock on EDT Wednesday with the news that his shop on a rural South Carolina crossroads had sold the most unlikely lottery ticket in history.
The price was a staggering $ 1,537 billion.
"I can not even count that number," Patel said six hours later, surrounded by media and wellbeing at his store, KC Mart # 7 in Simpsonville near Greenville. Outside, a few South Carolina Education Lottery officials hung up a banner that reads "Luck Struck Here!"
The one person won the jackpot was ready early on Wednesday morning. And even though the lottery officials announced at 11 o'clock that this person had bought the ticket at Patel's store, the winner's identity remained unknown to the officials last Wednesday.
The ticket buyer has 180 days to go ahead, says Tony Cooper, the state's top operating officer, and that person can then choose to keep his name private.
More: It's a winner! Tickets sold for $ 1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot in South Carolina
Stores selling the winning lottery tickets usually receive 1 percent of revenue, but they are truncated to $ 50,000.
"Too bad for me," Patel He said that he hopes all the attention will bring his shop more business.
After tax, Patel will have around $ 30,000, which he said he would share with his four employees.
Patel, born in India, has owned convenience stores around Simpsonville for about 20 years. He first came to the United States in 1996. Before he married and started a family with his wife, pharmacist Jayshree Patel, he said he was sleeping in the back of his first store in Simpsonville.
"This is the opportunity," Patel said. "We are working hard for our children."
Regular customers poured into Patel's store Wednesday to congratulate him and his employees.
Taylor Sloan, who lives about 2 miles away, said he had to see it in order to believe in the news that Patel's shop had sold the ticket.
"You may think it's wrong or something, but it's not." Sloan kept an energy drink and Rice Krispie spoke in his hand. "This is just my excuse to get past."
Cynthia Eldridge chatted with Jee Patel, one of the KC Mart workers, trying to find out who had bought the winning ticket. Some locals might think that the winner is working in a nearby transfer plant, she said.
"We're always here," said Eldridge. "I had to get some gas and wanted to congratulate them."
Patel said Wednesday afternoon that he had not yet had the opportunity to share the news with his three schoolchildren, he was sworn to secrecy until the official time at 11.00.
Rumors spun in the intermediate hours. A circle K in Columbia had previously told Greenville News that their shop had sold the winning ticket, and other shopkeepers also thought they could be the lucky places.
The Lottovinduet is also good news for the state of South Carolina: Income tax on premium money will amount to around 60 million dollars, officials said. This is on top of around $ 10 billion
The winners were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5.
The crowd can never know who claims the jackpot. South Carolina is one of eight states where winners can remain anonymous. The others are Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas.
"I have no idea," said Patel when asked if he knew who bought the winning ticket. "We had many customers yesterday, so I have no idea,"
TOP 10
Watch the 10 largest US Jackpots that have been won and the countries where the winning tickets were sold:
1. $ 1,586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016 (three tickets from California, Florida, Tennessee)
2. $ 1,537 billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018 (a ticket, South Carolina)
3. $ 758.7 million, Powerball, August 23, 2017 (a ticket from Massachusetts)
4. $ 656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
5. $ 648 million, Mega Millions, December 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
6. $ 590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (A Florida Ticket)
7. $ 587.5 million, Powerball November 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)
8. $ 564.1 million, Powerball, Feb. 11, 20 15 (three tickets, from North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas)
9. $ 559.7 million, Powerball, January 6, 2018 (a ticket, New Hampshire)
10. $ 543 million, Mega Millions, July 24, 2018 (a ticket, California)
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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