Image Source: The Baltimore Sun

 

BY EMOKE BEBIAK

ANCHOR CHRISTIAN BRYANT

2, 4, 23, 38, 46, and the Mega Ball 23 are the winning numbers for the historic Mega Millions Jackpot.

 

So far it seems three lucky winners will share the $640 million prize--the winning tickets were bought in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas. None of the winners have come forward yet. (Video: BBC )

 

The winning Maryland ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in Baltimore County. Standing in front of the store, the Maryland Lottery Director tells MSNBC about lucky ticket.

 

“It was sold at 7:15 last night, it was a quick pick, and there was only one ticket purchased last night by the player.”

 

Another ticket was sold in Red Bud, Illinois, a small town close to St. Louis. The manager of the store where the winner played tells St. Louis Today ...

 

"It's a huge deal for Red Bud... I'm sure there's not one person in this town that couldn't use the money."

 

Each winner is getting $213 million before taxes. They can decide to take the amount as a whole or divide it up into 25 annual payments-- about $8 million per year. A financial advisor tells Toledo’s WUPW , the winners should be careful with their fortune...

 

“People who get rich slowly have a tendency to keep it. People who get rich quick, typically don’t.”

 

He adds, 80 percent of lottery winners end up in bankruptcy within 5 years. A securities attorney agrees and tells CNN lottery winners in fact shouldn’t make major financial decision for at least a couple months...

 

“The temptation to do stuff and spend that money is going to be extraordinarily great. But some of the worst mistakes lottery winners make are the initial decision that they make.”

 

But of course, the winners are not the only ones profiting record prize: according to the Guardian , Americans spent about $1.5 billion trying to hit the historic jackpot.