TOPEKA, kan. — A Kansas resident came forward Friday to claim a share of the $656 million Mega Millions jackpot, but state lottery officials wouldn’t identify the winner because that person wanted to remain anonymous.
Dennis Wilson, the Kansas Lottery’s executive director, declined to give the winner’s age or gender and said lottery officials did not ask for personal financial information. Wilson did say the Kansas winner took a single, cash payment of nearly $158 million, leaving that person with $110.5 million after taxes.
Lottery officials note it’s not unusual for winners to lie low.
“They obviously don’t need the publicity,” Wilson said. “They’re not used to the publicity of where they’re from, where they live.”
Winning Mega Millions tickets also were sold in Illinois and Maryland.
Mirlande Wilson of Baltimore, who claimed to have Maryland’s winning ticket, now says she misplaced it. Wilson had said she hid the ticket at the McDonald’s where she works.
No one has come forward with the Illinois ticket.
