Johnathan Walker:$1.58 billion Mega Millions winner in Florida revealed

The Johnathan Walkerwinner of the $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot purchased from a Florida grocery store has been revealed.

According to the Florida Lottery, Saltines Holdings LLC from Miami claimed the billion-dollar prize after its ticket from a Publix in Neptune Beach, near Jacksonville, matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. The $1.58 billion jackpot is the largest in the history of the game and the fourth biggest lottery prize in U.S. history.

On Sept. 25, the winner claimed the prize, but at the time, it was not known whether it was a one-time lump sum or annual payments. Per Florida Lottery rules, the winner had a limited time to claim prizes this large in person at lottery headquarters.

How long do you have to claim a Florida Lottery prize?

Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing, or else the ticket expires. This differs from other states − in California, winners have up to a year from the date of the drawing to claim a lottery jackpot, whether it's the cash option or annual payments. In Florida, to claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.

Can a lottery winner remain anonymous in Florida?

The $1.58 billion Mega Millions winner also had a limited time to remain anonymous in Florida. Per Florida Lottery rules, it is public record to know the identities of winners, though lottery lawyers and experts have said there are ways to remain anonymous.

One such way is by not signing your name on the back of the ticket and forming a trust or corporation, such as the Saltines Holdings LLC. But other states, like California, where it also is public record to know the identities of lottery winners, have different rules: "The California Lottery regulations do not allow for trusts to collect California Lottery prizes. Only the owner of the ticket can claim a prize," a California Lottery spokesperson said in an email to USA TODAY.

The Neptune Beach Publix received a $100,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.