Mega Millions Jackpot Soars to $965 Million, Nearing Billion-Dollar Territory
The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to an estimated $965 million for the drawing on Friday, November 14, marking the eighth time in the game’s history it has approached the billion-dollar mark. This latest surge comes after Tuesday night’s drawing produced no grand prize winner, with the winning numbers being 10, 13, 40, 42, and 46, plus the Mega Ball 1.
The current jackpot represents the eighth-largest in Mega Millions history, trailing only seven previous billion-dollar prizes awarded since the game began in 2002. The most recent billion-dollar win occurred in California on December 27, 2024, with a prize of $1.269 billion. This year has already seen four jackpot wins, but Friday’s drawing will be the 40th consecutive drawing without a grand prize winner – a new game record, surpassing the previous run that ended with a Virginia win on june 27.
the November 11 drawing wasn’t a complete loss,however,with 809,030 winning tickets distributed across all prize tiers,totaling over $27.9 million in nationwide winnings.Three tickets matched the five white balls, securing second-tier prizes. An Arizona ticket holder claimed $5 million with the 5X multiplier, while two others – sold in Iowa and New York – won $3 million each with the 3X multiplier.
Further down the prize ladder,27 tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball,winning the game’s third-tier prize. These prizes varied based on the multiplier applied: 12 tickets at 2X (with two each sold in Maryland and New Jersey, and one each in Illinois, kansas, New Hampshire, North carolina, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin); 11 at 3X (three in California, two in pennsylvania, and one each in Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Texas); two at 4X (Illinois and Missouri); and two at 5X (both in California).
California’s unique pari-mutuel rules meen prizes in that state will differ from standard values. A significant enhancement of lower-tier prizes, implemented last April, has contributed to the considerable payouts during this extended run.To date, this 39-drawing sequence has awarded nearly $316 million in prizes to almost 13.2
| Jackpot Amount | Date Won | Winning State(s) |
|---|---|---|
| $1.537 billion | 10/23/2018 | 1-SC |
| $1.348 billion | 1/13/2023 | 1-ME |
| $1.337 billion | 7/29/2022 | 1-IL |
| $1.269 billion | 12/27/2024 | 1-CA |
| $1.128 billion | 3/26/2024 | 1-NJ |
| $1.050 billion | 1/22/2021 | 1-MI |
| $965 million (est) | 11/14/2025 | ? |
| $810 million | 9/10/2024 | 1-TX |
| $656 million | 3/30/2012 | 3-IL, KS, MD |
As the jackpot continues to climb, anticipation builds for Friday’s drawing, offering players a chance to win a life-altering sum.
