In Iowa, lottery winners CAN'T remain anonymous. When I've talked to lottery officials on the radio show, they've told me it's because they want to demonstrate that ordinary people DO win the lottery. South Carolina, on the other hand, is one of the few states that allows lottery winners to remain anonymous. So we may never know who has claimed the largest lottery jackpot for a single winner in history.
As you might remember, it was back in October that someone bought a ticket at the KC Mart in Simpsonville, SC. Since then, no one’s heard a thing.
And now, they won’t.
“We are delighted that the winner is a South Carolinian and has come forward to claim this remarkable prize,” says Hogan Brown, the Lottery Commission’s Executive Director. “We respect the winner’s decision to remain anonymous, and we will honor the winner’s wishes.”
What we DO know? The person has chosen to get paid out by the one-time cash option…and after taxes, will fill their account with about 877-million-dollars. And one other thing – that the massive windfall came after a simple act of kindness. Turns out, the winner allowed a fellow customer to cut the line and make their Mega Millions lottery ticket purchase first.
So what do you want to bet that the residents of Simpsonville will be wandering around this year looking for the resident who is suddenly living a lifestyle WAY out of proportion with their income? Just because someone doesn't reveal their name, it doesn't mean they will remain anonymous. What do you want to bet that a neighbor or family member at some point spills the beans to the local media?