What would you do with $177 million?
RELEASE DATE: 4/10/2017
LITTLE ROCK – Sept. 27, 2017. That’s 180 days from March 31. That is how long the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Mega Millions’ winner has to claim the $177 million jackpot. So all of Arkansas – and the country – may have to wait several more months to discover the name of the winner of the largest jackpot ticket ever sold in the state.
“We encourage the winner – whomever it might be – to take his or her time before cashing in the ticket. This is a life-changing event,” said Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Director Bishop Woosley. “It is a good idea for winners to seek professional advice to help them prepare for how to handle this kind of situation. We also encourage the winner to contact us before coming in. We want to make the process as easy as possible.”
The person holding the winning ticket purchased three Mega Million quick picks at the All Stop Valero at 408 East 22nd Street in Stuttgart on March 30, one day before the $177 million jackpot drawing.
What Does $177 Million Look Like?
If you stack 1,770,000 $100 bills, it would stand 637 feet – taller than the Simmons Tower in downtown Little Rock. Stacked $1 bills would equal the length of more than 176 Razorback football fields and would weigh 195 tons. (The weight in hundred dollar bills drops to just 1.9 tons!)
What Could You Buy With $177 Million?
For all the people who didn’t win the Mega Millions you might ask yourself, “What would I do if I won $177 million?” Here are a few things you could afford:
- Three Gulfstream G550 jets with change to spare for fuel
- A NASCAR team and its driver
- Production of “Star Wars: Episode 7”
- 63-acre waterfront island estate now on sale in Darien, CT
- More than 27 million bowls of the “World’s Best Cheese Dip” at the Heights Tacos and Tamales restaurant in Little Rock
Visit the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery’s Facebook page or join us on Twitter and tell us what you would do if you were the winner of the $177 million Mega Millions jackpot.
About Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Winners
When the $177 million winning ticket is claimed, the total number of Arkansas lottery-made millionaires will jump to 55.
Based on data from 2016, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery produces one prize winner every 1.4 seconds, more than 40 winners every minute, more than 2,500 per hour, 64,000 per day and nearly two million winners every month.
The luckiest county in the state, with more than four million prize winners in 2016, is naturally the most populous: Pulaski County. But even the “least lucky,” Montgomery County, saw more than 22,000 prize winners last year.
About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
Since its inception in 2009, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has provided nearly $700 million for instate college scholarships to Arkansas students, more than $2 billion in prizes to players, and more than $189 million in commissions to Lottery retailers. More than 92 cents of every dollar of Lottery revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions and other expenses in Arkansas. To date, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has provided funding for more than 235,000 scholarships to Arkansas students. To apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, visit scholarships.ADHE.edu before the June 1 deadline.
Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit MyArkansasLottery.com for more information on scholarships, winners, games, odds, promotions – and to join the free Play It Again™ Rewards Club. To hear winning numbers, call the Winning Numbers Hotline at 501-682-IWON (4966). To get help with problem gambling, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Media contact: Donna Bragg, Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, (479) 459-2132