The winning ticket from the July 29 drawing was sold at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois. “For a prize of this magnitude, it’s not unusual for the winner to take a while to claim it,” Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays said a week after the drawing. “I’m sure he’s going through a range of emotions,” he added.
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Mayes speculated that he didn’t even know he won the award, which seems even more plausible today. The winner can wait a full year to claim the money, but only has 60 days from the drawing date to decide whether they want to receive a $1.34 billion payment over 29 years or a lump sum of $780 million in cash.
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