On January 5th, the Mega Millions jackpot was drawn, with a pot worth $451 million! The winning ticket was purchased at a 7-Eleven by a 20-year-old man from Port Richey, Florida.
The Mega Millions winner is Shane Missler, who opted to receive a lump sum of $281.2 million. Interestingly, the store who sold the ticket will receive a commission of $100,000. According to The Tampa Bay Times, Missler arrived at Florida Lottery headquarters with his winning ticket in a yellow envelope. He was grinning widely, and accompanied by his father and his lawyer.
Now retired (Missler had been working at a company that does background screening as a verification specialist), the young winner won with the numbers 28, 30, 39, 59 and 70. He told the lottery commission that when he purchased the ticket, he had a feeling he was going to win.
Said Messler, “I’m only 20, but I hope to use it to pursue a variety of passions, help my family and do some good for humanity.” For now, though, the 20-year-old is on track for a crash course in financial management. Messler also told the news, “I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way, and cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future. I have always been one to encourage the idea of chasing dreams and I believe life is about the pursuit of passion. I am 20 years old and my journey has only just begun.”
The energetic young man says that positive thinking is something he has always valued. “If there is one thing I have learned thus far in my short time on this earth is that those who maintain a positive mindset and stay true to themselves get rewarded,” he told ABC Action News. “I look forward to the future.”
