Why Florida Mega Millions winner who swept $800M jackpot will be unmasked in 90 days

A lottery winner who scooped an $800 million jackpot has 90 days to come forward before they are unmasked under Florida law.

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The lucky Florida Mega Millions ticket holder won the massive prize — the largest in 2026 and the 10th-largest in the game’s history — on Tuesday night.

The winning numbers were 34, 48, 49, 59, 70, and the gold Mega Ball was 12, but the location of the winning ticket was not immediately announced.

But while the winner hasn’t been named yet, the public will likely know their name by late October after the Sunshine State’s 90-day temporary anonymity rule runs out.

Under Florida Statute 24.1051, anyone who wins a lottery prize of $250,000 or more receives a 90-day public records exemption, beginning the day they officially claim the ticket at the Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee, according to Sunshine State law firm Barnes Walker.

Once the 90 days pass, the winner’s full legal name and city of residence become part of the public record and can be released to anyone who files a public records request.

However, the winner’s street address and phone number remain strictly confidential under Florida law.

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That doesn’t mean there isn’t a workaround to remain hidden.

Most jackpot winners in Florida will hire an asset-protection attorney before they claim their prize.

They will often set up an entity — such as a blind trust or LLC — which will claim the prize instead of the individual.

In such cases, when a public records request is made, it will list the winner as the legal entity’s name — rather than the winner’s name.

But the clock is ticking for Tuesday’s lucky ticket holder, who has 180 days from the draw date to claim their prize.

The newly minted multi-millionaire also has just 60 days from the draw date to choose a single cash lump-sum option rather than the 30-year annuity.

Because of that 60-day cash option window, major winners usually take several weeks to assemble a team of lawyers and financial advisors before they head to the lottery headquarters.

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