A big rush on lottery tickets pushed the jackpot for Friday night's Mega Millions drawing to a world-record $640 million.
The drawing was carried live on WSB-TV, Channel 2, at 11 p.m.
The numbers were: 2, 4, 23, 38 and 46, and the Mega Ball was 23.
Georgia Lottery President Margeret DeFrancisco said officials will know early Saturday if someone has won the jackpot.
Dozens of dreamers with millions and millions of dollar signs flashing in their eyes lined up at the Georgia Lottery kiosk at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday morning for their chances at the record jackpot.
If a single winner matches all six numbers and chooses the cash option, he or she will receive a lump sum payout of approximately $462 million.
Calvin Sherrod, 50, works on a janitorial crew at Hartsfield. He said he bought six Mega Millions tickets on Thursday and another eight Friday morning.
“If I do hit, I’ve got people in Florida and I like to take care of them,” Sherrod said, adding that if he wins, “I’ll be retiring real early, yes sir.”
Georgia Lottery Corp. president and CEO Margeret R. DeFrancisco said Georgia players purchased $6.6 million in Mega Millions tickets on Thursday alone, compared to normal Mega Millions sales of around $2 million for an entire week.
Tanya Sam, a registered nurse originally from Toronto who now lives in Atlanta, was buying tickets before boarding a flight to New York.
“I was going to buy it in New York, but I figured, let’s increase my odds and buy some here and there,” Sam said.
And her plans if one of her tickets matches all six numbers?
“Early retirement, eat lots of good food, travel the world,” Sam said. “All the things you want to do on your weekends and can’t do because you’re working.”
Tanya Sanchez, a Delta Air Lines employee who lives in Florida and commutes to Atlanta for work, was heading home for the weekend.
She said that her home state does not participate in Mega Millions, “so before I head to Florida, I’m buying my lottery ticket here.”
“Actually, I think I’m going to win,” Sanchez said. “You have to believe, and I believe that everyone else is wasting their time and it’s mine.”
Walter Stowers, however, believes that Sanchez is wrong.
“I have some numbers that I’ve been playing for years that I’m going to play,” Stowers said. “I’m going to say to myself that this $540 million is mine, so everyone else get out of line.”
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