The Mega Millions jackpot shot to $1.15 billion this week — the seventh time in Mega Millions history that the jackpot has surpassed the billion-dollar mark.
The next drawing is Friday at 11 p.m. ET.
While a sizable tax bill would knock down the jackpot’s amount considerably, we took a look and opted to use $1 billion to illustrate the full scope of the prize.
Ticket prices for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” varied by location and date. When the tour went live in Glendale, Ariz., in 2023, the average ticket price there was $529. But at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the average ticket expense was $3,071, making it the most expensive location, according to USA Today. At that average ticket price, the Mega Millions jackpot winner could afford to buy 325,626 tickets, or buy out the 70,000-seat stadium 4.7 times.
A $1 billion jackpot could buy more than 1 billion cans of AriZona tea. You read that right. For more than three decades, the company has consistently kept the brand’s 23-ounce cans at 99 cents. The founder, Don Vultaggio, spilled the tea on the consistent price in an interview with NBC’s Today show earlier this year.
“We’re successful, we’re debt free, we own everything,” Vultaggio said. “Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent pay more for our drink? Maybe it’s my little way to give back.”
However, retailers and business owners have the right to set their own prices. That’s why you may pay more than the can’s suggested 99-cent price at a place like a gas station.
A new ultra-long-range private jet, which could fly up to 16 hours, would cost around $65 million, according to Global Charter. So if someone wins the grand prize, they could buy about 15 of this type of swanky aircraft, which is also owned by celebrities like Michael Jordan, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. This price doesn’t include the crew costs or maintenance fees.
Apple’s iPhone 16 costs $799 per phone. The jackpot winner could buy 1,251,564 phones, which is more than enough for the population of the state of South Dakota, which is estimated at 924,669, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Virgin Galactic currently offers suborbital flights that travel about 50 miles above Earth and cost $600,000 per ticket. If there’s a grand prize winner Tuesday, they could buy 1,666 tickets. That number could include all 535 members of U.S. Congress, all 712 active players in the National Hockey League and 190 of the person’s closest friends and family combined.
