• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Personal FinanceLottery

Mega Millions jackpot tops $1 billion after no one wins Tuesday’s drawing

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 27, 2022, 11:46 AM ET
People wait in line to buy Mega Millions lottery tickets ahead of tonight's $830 million dollar jackpot drawing on July 26th in New York City.
People wait in line to buy Mega Millions lottery tickets ahead of tonight's $830 million dollar jackpot drawing on July 26th in New York City.Alexi Rosenfeld—Getty Images

It has been more than three months since someone has won the Mega Millions lottery. And with Tuesday’s lack of a winning ticket, the jackpot has jumped to an estimated $1.02 billion.

How rich would that make the winner? Well, if they bypass the cash option (which works out to $602.5 million), it would, on paper, put them about even with LeBron James. Virtually all winners take the cash option, however.

The jackpot is almost certain to go even higher before the next drawing on Friday night at 11:00p.m. ET.  The question on everyone’s mind, at this point, is will it top the all-time high of $1.58 billion set by Powerball in 2016.

Tuesday’s lack of a winner had to be disappointing for workers of the Raising Cane’s fast-food franchise. Founder Todd Graves bought 50,000 tickets (shelling out $100,000) for Tuesday’s drawing, vowing to split the then-$810 million prize among the company’s 50,000 employees, which would have worked out to more than $7,000 per worker.

Winning the billion is even less likely than winning Tuesday’s jackpot, though. The odds of picking all five numbers and the Mega Ball now stand at 1 in 302.5 million. (The U.S. population, if you were curious, stands at just under 333 million.)

Should you win and opt for the cash option, that $602.5 million would work out to somewhere in the $330 million range (give or take a few million) after taxes. The Federal government would take about $223 million and, depending on where you live, you’d face additional state taxes of $0 to $53 million.

Of course, if more than one person wins, that cut gets even smaller—not that most people would complain about having to split that much cash.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Personal Finance

bessent
Politicsstudent loans and debt
Scott Bessent’s Treasury Department will start overseeing the $180 billion of student loans that are in default
By Collin Binkley, Nick Lichtenberg and The Associated PressMarch 20, 2026
13 hours ago
Personal FinanceGold
6 mistakes to avoid when buying gold or silver
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 20, 2026
13 hours ago
Big TechEntrepreneurs
Mark Cuban reads 1,000 emails a day—now he’s using a Mac Mini to fight the AI-generated flood threatening his clean inbox obsession
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 20, 2026
13 hours ago
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for March 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMarch 20, 2026
14 hours ago
suburbs
Real EstateGen Z
Gen Z can’t afford a house. Some parents are choosing to fund their down payments over their college funds
By Jake AngeloMarch 20, 2026
14 hours ago
A person holding a blue piggy bank
Personal FinanceSavings
Best savings account bonuses for March 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 20, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.