What To Do If You Win The Mega Millions Lotto Jackpot, Now at Record $540 Million

The jackpot for Friday's Mega Millions drawing grew quickly today, with lottery officials saying the prize had reached $540 million, making it the largest jackpot in world history.

According to the California Lottery, a cash payout for a single jackpot winner would be $389.8 million. If a winner chooses the annual payment option, it would be $20.7 million a year for 26 years -- before taxes.

The retailer who sells the winning ticket will receive a bonus of $1 million.

And if you win? Plenty of folks are fantasizing about what to do with the half-billion-dollar prize. Making sure you don't blow the largest-ever lottery jackpot within a few years means some advice is in order. First off, sign the back of the ticket. Here are some more tips if you're the really, really lucky person.

For Tuesday's drawing, which had a jackpot of $363 million, the California Lottery's website registered 1 million hits between 8 and 9 p.m., with people trying to find the winning numbers.

There have been 18 Mega Millions draws without a jackpot winner, leading to Friday's record-breaking prize.

The previous largest Mega Millions jackpot was $390 million for the March 6, 2007, drawing. The Jan. 4, 2011, drawing had a $380 million jackpot.

The numbers drawn Tuesday were 9, 19, 34, 44, 51 and the Mega number was 24.

There were 47 tickets sold with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, including nine in California. The ones sold in California are each worth $308,573, while the other 38 are each worth $250,000, a California Lottery official announced.

California law requires most major payoffs of lottery games in the state to be paid on a pari-mutuel basis.

One of the tickets with five numbers, but missing the Mega number was sold at Surf Liquor in Santa Monica, while a second was sold at Stopper Liquor in Placentia.

The holders of the winning ticket from Santa Monica -- a group of co- workers at an unidentified business -- claimed their prize Wednesday. The winners called themselves the "Lincoln 10." Winners in San Diego and San Bernardino counties also claimed their $308,573 prizes today.

The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 175,711,536, according to the Mega Millions website. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 40.

The Mega Millions game is played in 41 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.