Winner of $1.1B Jackpot Comes Forward After 9 Months

It took three-quarters of a year, but the winner of the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever has finally come forward to claim their prize. The lone winning ticket was purchased in March in New Jersey, but no one came forward to submit the ticket and claim the $1.128 billion prize until recently, NBC New York reports. While New Jersey requires lottery winners to provide ID to lottery officials if they win $600 or more, they are allowed to remain anonymous publicly, as this player has chosen to do.

The winner opted to take the lump sum cash value, about $537.5 million before taxes, USA Today reports. If the prize hadn't been claimed within a year, it would have been forfeited, NJ.com reports. Each participating state would have gotten its share of the jackpot back. (More Mega Millions stories.)