Mega Millions jackpot soars to $640 million

The Mega Millions jackpot shot up to $640 million ahead of its next and final drawing of 2022 on Friday that could give new meaning to prosperity in the New Year for one lucky player.

The latest jackpot, which if taken in one lump sum would be $328.3 million, comes after no player matched the six winning numbers Tuesday night. Mega Millions said the prize is “by far the largest” ever offered in the last week of any year.

“And could provide someone with a very happy New Year’s celebration,” the lottery said.

This is only the sixth time the lottery has surged past $600 million in its 20-year history, Mega Millions said. The last time a player won more than $600 million is when a unanimous partnership in Illinois clinched $1.337 billion on July 29.

While no one has obtained the grand prize since mid-October, there have been 40 tickets sold that were worth $1 million or more across 18 different states, Mega Millions said.

During Tuesday’s drawing, five tickets matched the five white balls to grab the second-tier prize of at least $1 million.