$980M Mega Millions winning ticket sold in Georgia

Caroline Silva, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Nov 15, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ATLANTA — A Mega Millions ticket sold in metro Atlanta just made someone a multimillionaire.

The player, who bought their ticket in Newnan, matched all six numbers during a Friday evening drawing and won a jackpot worth an estimated $980 million.

It has an estimated cash value of $452.2 million.

“We are thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in our state’s history,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said in a news release. “With every Mega Millions ticket sold in Georgia supporting HOPE and Pre-K, Georgia’s students and families are also big winners.”

The ticket was sold at a Publix located at 4000 U.S. 29, about 40 minutes southwest of Atlanta.

The winning numbers were 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57 and the Mega Ball was 7. The winner overcame the odds of 1 in 290.5 million by matching all six numbers.

The payout surpasses a previous record when a Powerball ticket sold in Buford in October 2024 yielded a $478.2 million jackpot. Two people opted to split that prize for the cash option of $230.6 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot had been growing since the end of June after $348 million was won in Virginia. Friday’s win was the fifth of the year and the first in Georgia since November 2016.

It’s the largest prize ever won in the month of November and the eighth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.

The largest jackpot prize remains as $1.602 billion won in 2023 in Florida.

A retailer who sells a winning jackpot ticket also profits, as they can earn the $50,000 retailer incentive bonus payment.

Mega Millions tickets are $5 per play with a multiplier included. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.