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Mega Millions Jackpot Grows to 3rd Largest Prize After No Winner From Friday’s Drawing

Yet again, the Mega Millions jackpot has skyrocketed after no one claimed the prize during Friday night’s drawing.

The winning numbers for the Mega Millions jackpot were: 3-11-12-38-43, Mega Ball: 15.

The top prize has now catapulted to a whopping $850 million — the third-largest in lottery history.

As for Powerball, its jackpot is an estimated $640 million for Saturday night’s drawing.

“There were a total of 4,682,795 winning tickets at all prize levels in the January 15 drawing, including eight that matched the five white balls to win the game’s $1 million second prize. Two of those were sold in New Jersey, with one each in California, Florida, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin,” according to a release.

Mega Millions Jackpot: The Good News & The Bad

The good news is players still have a chance to win. The Powerball drawing will air tonight and the next Mega Millions drawing is on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The sad news is the odds of winning either game aren’t in your favor. The chance of a single ticket matching all six numbers is 1 in 302 million for Mega Million. For Powerball, your chances are somewhat better with 1 in 292 million.

Nevertheless, it’s still worth considering how to use the money if you were to beat the staggering odds.

Depending on the state, Jackpot winners usually get six months to a year to claim their prize.

However, there’s no doubt the winner will experience a whirlwind of emotion following a lucky drawing.

According to experts, once the excitement of winning wears off, the enormity of their manna (or money) from heaven sets in.

“For anyone experiencing newly created wealth … there are feelings of dislocation and a sense of being overwhelmed,” said Valerie Galinskaya, managing director of the Merrill Center for Family Wealth.

Feeling overwhelmed is normal to which experts say winners should hire a team of professionals. They recommend hiring an attorney, CPA, and financial advisor, to help you understand the details.

“You want to hire the right advisors who can provide not just good advice, but advice that’s tailored to your needs and wants,” Galinskaya said.