Only in America could a gas station turn your dreams of becoming a billionaire into reality.
This is the roadside gas station – one of thousands across America – that sold a small slip of paper that is now worth $1.54 billion.
The KC Mart in Simpsonville, South Carolina sold the ticket that matched all six numbers for Tuesday’s blockbuster Mega Millions drawing.
The store, at a lonely rural junction 15 miles outside of Greenville in the northwest part of the state, was mobbed by media and looky-loos as lottery representatives strung up a banner reading ‘Luck Struck Here!’
Shop owner CJ Patel estimates that after taxes he’ll get about $30,000 for selling the lucky ticket – state law caps the payout to shopkeepers at $50,000.
Patel tells the Greenville News that he plans to split his cut among the store’s four employees.
“Hopefully it will bring us more business,” Patel said of selling the lucky ticket.
South Carolina allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, and so far no one has come forward to claim the jackpot. Patel said he was unable to offer any clues.
“I have no clue. No idea. We had a lot of customers yesterday, so I have no idea,” he said, fending off questions about the lucky winner’s identity.
South Carolina is one of eight states – along with Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas – where winners can remain anonymous. The winner also has up to 180 days to claim the prize.
It appears that thus far no one has claimed the prize, with anxious officials sending out at tweet on Wednesday morning pleading with the winner to contact them.
‘Our message to the $1.5 BILLION #Mega Millions jackpot winner: Sign the back of the ticket, place the ticket in a safe location, speak with a trusted advisor and CALL THE LOTTERY at 1-866-736-9819,’ the tweet read. ‘Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment!’
The prize is extraordinary by any measure, but particularly so for South Carolina, where it would be enough for an exceedingly generous winner to shower roughly $307 on each of the state’s five million people.
It’s about as much as 20 percent of the $8 billion that state lawmakers have to spend each year.