Financial gurus preach that wealth is grown gradually over time through investments over an assortment of healthy portfolios. Jackpot winners, however, are among the lucky species that prove one can become an instant multimillionaire courtesy of the lottery. At our site, you can find all the best online slot machines. You could join this exclusive club by participating in the Mega Million jackpot.

According to MegaMillions.com website, players may pick 6 numbers from 2 separate pools of numbers. One wins the jackpot by matching all the 6 winning numbers in a drawing. The winner has a choice of receiving the money as an annual allotment over a 30-year period or receiving it as a lump sum payment.

The top 5 jackpots ever won in the US

  1. The $1.586 billion (Powerball) drawn on 13 January 2016 and was won by Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt (Florida), John and Lisa Robinson (Tennessee) and Marvin and Mae Acosta (California).
  2. The $758.7 million (Powerball) drawn on August 2017 and won by Mavis L. Wanczyk (Massachusetts).
  3. The $656 million (Mega Millions) drawn in March 2012, and had 3 winning tickets.
  4. The $648 million (Mega Millions) that Steve Tran (California) and Ira Curry (Georgia) won in December 2013.
  5. The $590.5 million (Powerball) drawn on May 2013 and was won by Gloria Mackenzie (Florida).

The top 5 jackpots won in Europe

  1. The GBP 161.7 million ($260 million) won on 12th July 2011 in the UK was the largest jackpot in the pan-European EuroMillions.
  2. The €177.7 million (US$248 million) won on 30 October 2010 in Italy’s SuperEnalotto.
  3. The €190 million ($240.7 million) won on 24 October 2014 in Portugal.
  4. The €190 million ($234 million) drawn on 10 August 2012 in the UK and was a single-ticket jackpot in the pan-European EuroMillions.
  5. The €190 million ($222.9 million) drawn on 6 October 2017 in Spain.

Winning a jackpot is no guarantee of everlasting financial bliss. Review of past lottery winners reveals that they have a higher likelihood of going broke and declaring bankruptcy than the average citizen.

Wisdom is the key in the management of the sudden cash. Winners can place a good chunk of the winnings in a high-interest earning savings account, have some in an emergency fund and also secure some in their pension account.

A winner can also talk to an expert to guide on how to invest in the stock market. Financial planners are available to help winners prioritize their needs and create a budget so that they manage the money prudently.