The Florida Lottery has been changing lives since 1986, with MILLIONS in prizes awarded every year. Some players become instant millionaires, and others have even won hundreds of millions of dollars from games like Mega Millions, Powerball and FLORIDA LOTTO.
Who won the biggest lottery in Florida? Let's meet them! Here are the 5 biggest Florida Lottery wins in history.
Top 5 List of Florida Lottery winners
1. Saltines Holdings, LLC - $1.602 Billion (Mega Millions)
The biggest Florida Lottery winner of all time is Saltines Holdings, LLC, which claimed the $1.602 billion prize. Their ticket purchased at a Neptune Beach area Publix matched all six Mega Millions numbers to win the jackpot. The $1.602 billion prize is also the biggest Mega Millions jackpot in history.
Learn more: Which states allow anonymous lottery winners?
2. Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt - $1.586 billion (Powerball)
The answer to the question "Has anyone ever won the Powerball in Florida" is a resounding YES. Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt are the second biggest Florida Lottery winners of all time after an epic Powerball win. This duo had the winning ticket for the $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot from January 13, 2016. This jackpot—the first one to surpass $1 billion—ultimately had THREE winning tickets in three states, which means Maureen and David’s share of the payout was $328 million. They claimed the prize as “The Nickel 5 Trust.”
3. Gloria MacKenzie - $590.5 Million (Powerball)
Florida Lottery winner Gloria MacKenzie won $590.5 million on May 18, 2013 from a single Powerball ticket. MacKenzie, who was 84 years old at the time, chose to take the lump sum payment of $370.9 million.
4. Pamela Baker - $502 Million (Mega Millions)
On October 14, 2022, Pamela Baker of Bonita Springs split the $502 million grand prize with another winning ticket holder in California. This was right after the devastation of Hurricane Ian.
5. Anonymous - $451 Million (Mega Millions)
On January 5, 2018, Shane Missler of Port Richey, Florida became the winner of the $451 million Mega Millions jackpot. The 20-year-old had purchased 5 Quick Pick tickets at a local 7-Eleven. “I’m only 20, but I hope to use [my winnings] to pursue a variety of passions, help my family and do some good for humanity,” he told the Florida Lottery.
These top 5 Florida Lottery winners prove that anyone can win big. Who knows, the next BIG Florida lottery winner could be you!
Lottery results: Get the latest Florida winning numbers
Biggest Mega Millions winners in Florida
Lotto winners in Florida love playing Mega Millions, and it shows! Some huge Florida lottery winners have taken home record prizes participating in Mega Millions:
1. $1.602 billion jackpot (August 8, 2023): An entity by the name of Saltines Holdings LLC took home a grand prize of 1.602 billion dollars. The lucky ticket was from Publix in Neptune Beach.
2. $502 million jackpot (October 14, 2022): Pamela Baker of Bonita Springs won the $502 million Mega Millions with a Quick Pick ticket purchased at a Fort Myers 7-Eleven. She split the jackpot with the other winning ticket holder—someone in California.
3. $451 million jackpot (January 5, 2018): Florida lottery winner 20-year-old Shane Missler took home $281 million as a lump sum payment on the Florida lottery’s 30th birthday. Guess he got the real present!
4. $414 million jackpot (March 8, 2014): The first Mega Millions Florida lottery winners were Robin Collier and Raymond Moyer, who took home a whopping $115 million after splitting the prize with another winner in Maryland. (They were dating at the time!) The $115 million was their cut after they took the lump sum prize.
5. $39 million jackpot (August 15, 2023): Here's what we know. The winning ticket was purchased at a Publix in Jacksonville. What we don't know? Who is the (un)lucky ticket holder. This ticket expired before a winner came forward.
Decisions, decisions: Cash vs annuity lottery payouts
Biggest Powerball winners in Florida
Has anyone in Florida ever won the Powerball? Mega Millions isn’t the only game making millionaires out of Floridians. Powerball has had its fair share of winners hailing from Florida:
1. $1.58 billion jackpot (January 13, 2016) Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach were the lucky owners of 1 of 3 winning tickets for the $1.58 billion Powerball on January 13, 2016. They claimed their prize (a lump sum of $327.8 million) as the Nickel 95 Trust.
2. $590.5 million jackpot (May 18, 2013): 84-year-old Gloria Mackenzie became the sole winner of the $590.5 million Powerball jackpot on May 18, 2013. She bought the ticket at a Zephyrhills area Publix where another customer allowed her to go ahead of them in line.
3. $396.6 million jackpot (January 28, 2020): Mega Millions saw a winner in Sheryll Goedert, a partner in the law firm Collier, Jernigan, and Goedert, when she took home a lump sum of $277 million from a ticket at a 7-11 in Bonita Springs. She formed the Vacation Life LLC to claim her prize.
4. $291 million (March 2, 2016): Don’t let the fact that you’re on vacation keep you from getting your lottery ticket. James Stocklas was visiting the Florida Keys from Pennsylvania when he picked up a winning ticket worth $191 million in the lump sum payout. He won on a Quick Pick!
5. $285 million jackpot (June 5, 2021): The Love You More Trust trustee Clay Tousey took home almost $197 million in a lump sum payment on June 5, 2021.
6. $235 million jackpot (March 27, 2021): Thomas Ye took home a nice sum of $160 million in his lump sum payment when winning Powerball. He got his ticket at Publix in Lutz in the Tampa Bay area.
That’s a lot of lucky winners taking home a lot of dough. We’re happy for them! Mega Millions and Powerball top the list of big winners because they are multi-state games, making their grand prizes especially astronomical.
Lottery winners: Has anyone won Powerball online?
Florida Lottery Winner FAQs
What is the largest LOTTO prize won in Florida?
Six winners split a $106.5 million FLORIDA LOTTO prize on September 15, 1990.
Who was the first Powerball winner in Florida?
That honor belongs to Orlando area dermatologist Dr. William Steele, who won on October 3, 2009. They took home a grand prize of $189 million, opting for a one-time lump sum of $101 million.
What is the largest prize that was never claimed in Florida?
In May 1999, some lucky winner passed up $66 million in the FLORIDA LOTTO. The winning ticket was bought in Miami. Goes to show the importance of putting your tickets in a safe place until drawing time!
How much in lottery winnings has been left unclaimed in Florida?
This number blows our minds. A whopping $447 million has gone unclaimed since the Florida lottery began (as of 5/22/23), according to data provided by the Florida Lottery. What happens when Florida lottery prizes go unclaimed? According to Florida law, 80% of 80% of unclaimed and expired lottery prizes is transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund — which provides scholarships and assistance to districts — while the remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings. In Florida, you have 180 days after the winning draw date to claim your prize before the lottery ticket expires. (Source: Florida Lottery).
