A staggering amount of money was won in the American Mega Millions at the weekend.
US$1.337 BILLION.
NZ$2.12 BILLION to us.
Incredibly - that’s just the third-largest jackpot in the nation’s history.
With more, here’s our World News Editor Kate Gregan.
Millions of Americans try their luck every week, hoping one day their selected numbers will make them rich.
The lottery is an institution in the US, and more than half of the nation's adults will play in a state lottery this year.
The US$1.337 billion jackpot was struck with a single ticket in Illinois.
The lucky winner has the choice of a cash option - which is 780.5 million dollars - or an annual payout over 30 years.
The Mega Millions website says most winners go for the lump sum – which comes with a hefty tax bill.
The largest jackpot of any US lottery game was US$1.586 billion dollars - which was struck by three tickets.
John and Lisa Robinson bought their winning ticket at their local grocery store in Tennessee.
After their big win, John and Lisa are now reportedly living a private life in a 10-bedroom home overlooking their private lake.
The odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 300 million.
You're much more likely to be eaten by a shark, struck by lightning, or even killed by an asteroid.
But in 2018, the second-largest jackpot was struck by one lucky winner in South Carolina.
US$1.537 billion.
With that money, you could buy 385 million Big Macs.
Or – since you’re already probably on cloud-9, you could go one step further with a trip to the International Space Station.
For $55 million per trip, you could go 28 times.
But while winning Lotto sounds like a dream come true - Nearly one-third of U.S. lottery winners declare bankruptcy – often within just a few years of their big win.
So - if you do win - take a deep breath, don’t lose your ticket, and hire a lawyer, and a financial advisor.
