How the Mega Millions Winner Celebrated
Being under 21, Missler is unable to drink in Florida, so could not celebrate his win with champagne, which is usually associated with marking good fortune. Instead, the brand new millionaire sat down with a coffee the morning after the winning draw and broke the news to his father.
The New England Patriots fan realised almost immediately that he had become the first Mega Millions winner since October 2017, posting the words “Oh. My. God” on his Facebook page in the minutes following the draw. In a statement, he said that the first person he told was his brother.
Financial Advice
Rather than rushing into claiming the prize, Missler took advice on how to deal with the gigantic windfall. "Although I’m young, I’ve had a crash course this week in financial management,” he said in a statement, “and I feel so fortunate to have this incredible wealth and team behind me."
He formed a trust, called the Secret 007 LLC, to pick up the win and attended Florida Lottery headquarters with his dad and a lawyer, who confirmed that Missler would not return to work following his win. Missler opted for the cash payment of $281.8 million, rather than the full $451 million annuity.
How Will the Mega Millions Winner Spend His Prize?
With his newly acquired free time and bulging bank balance, Missler admits that he wants to have some fun, but also insisted that he will look after his family and “do some good for humanity”. He expressed a wish to “cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future.”
The winner also suggested he would move away from his current home town, which sits 40 miles north-west of Tampa in the Sunshine State.
Current Mega Millions Jackpot
Missler is the first player to win Mega Millions since a series of changes were made to the lottery in order to help the jackpot grow to larger amounts more quickly. There have been two draws since his success and the top prize has already shot to $50 million ahead of Tuesday night’s edition.
You can buy Mega Millions tickets at retailers in participating states and choose your numbers online around the world.