there’s this wild story about a Mega Millions jackpot winner in Jacksonville, Florida, who missed out on claiming a whopping $36 million! Can you believe it?

The deadline came and went, but they never showed up to cash in. The Florida Lottery confirmed the news to FOX Business.

Apparently, the winning ticket was sold at a Publix in Jacksonville.

Mega Millions and the Florida Lottery were practically begging folks who bought tickets there to double-check theirs before it was too late.

Can you imagine having 180 days to claim $36 million?

That’s like a dream come true, right? But this person missed their shot. The winning numbers—get this—18, 39, 42, 57, 63 for the white balls, and 7 for the Mega Ball, were drawn way back on August 15th.

Now, the odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are already sky-high—like 1 in over 302 million! So, missing out on claiming the prize is just adding insult to injury.

But here’s the kicker: Florida law says that 80% of unclaimed prize money goes straight to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

The rest goes back into the prize pool or used for special promotions. At least it’s going to a good cause, right?

And get this, the jackpot for the ongoing Mega Millions draw was sitting at a jaw-dropping $457 million! That’s enough to make anyone’s head spin. If you opted for the cash payout, it’d still be a cool $216.8 million.

The next Mega Millions drawing is happening Friday night, and who knows, maybe someone else’s life is about to change in a big way. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions!