Johnnie Taylor, 71, of Howard Beach in Queens, opted to take the cash value of the prize: a lump sum payment totaling $157,288,402.
[Ads /]
"It still doesn't feel real," Taylor said.
He said his wife didn't believe him when he told her that he had won the top prize. She was skeptical, so he had to go online to prove that the numbers on his ticket matched all the winning numbers. Those numbers for the drawing were 23-27-41-48-51, with Mega Ball 22.
Taylor recently retired from his job as a building handyman in Manhattan.
With the winnings, he wants to travel, buy a new home, and replace his 2012 Prius with a newer model hybrid vehicle. He also plans to donate to his local church.
Taylor typically buys his tickets at Liberty Beer and Convenience in Queens, a convenience store near his local subway station. Liberty Beer and Convenience will receive a $10,000 bonus from the New York Lottery for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The previous New York State record Mega Millions win was a $437 million jackpot sold in Huntington in 2019.
[Ads /]
WATCH: New York state lottery drawings live daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m.
Powerball drawings are also streamed here on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
Mega Millions drawings are streamed on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m.
ALSO READ | Weather or Not with Lee Goldberg | Is NYC sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers?
Weather or Not | Is NYC sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers?
----------
* More Queens news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube