How an 11-Person Office Pool Won $543 Million on Mega Millions
Eleven coworkers. Two dollars each. One ticket from a corner liquor store. In July 2018 that combination turned into what was then the largest prize ever won on a single California Lottery ticket: a $543 million Mega Millions jackpot. (California tickets have since won two Powerball jackpots worth over $1.7 billion each.) It is one of the best-known office pool wins in history, and it carries useful lessons for any group.
The Story
A group of 11 coworkers in Santa Clara County, California, who work in the financial industry, pooled $2 apiece for the Mega Millions drawing on July 24, 2018. Everyone chipped in the same amount, including the group's supervisor, and the members ranged in age from their early twenties to around sixty.
The ticket was sold at Ernie's Liquors in San Jose. Roland Reyes, who bought it, later said his instinct was to buy from a small local business. When the numbers were drawn, the ticket matched all of them.
The group came forward quickly, claiming the prize at the California Lottery's office in Hayward the day after the drawing. Reyes spoke for the group at the announcement. The winners chose not to name their employer publicly.
The Numbers
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Advertised jackpot (annuity) | $543 million |
| Cash option, before taxes | About $320.5 million |
| Members | 11 |
| Per person, cash, before taxes | Roughly $29 million |
| Cost to enter | $2 per person ($22 total) |
| Bonus to the retailer | $1 million |
The group took the lump sum, the smaller up-front payout, instead of the annuity paid over 30 years. Each member's actual take-home depends on federal taxes and their own situation. One detail worked in their favor: California doesn't tax California Lottery winnings, so the members owed federal income tax but no state income tax on their shares.
(Mega Millions cost $2 a play in 2018. Since the game's 2025 redesign it costs $5, so the same group would need $55 for one play today. See Powerball vs. Mega Millions for groups.)
What Happened Next
Several members said they planned to keep working, at least for a while, and talked about paying off mortgages, funding education and travelling. A sudden jump from a regular paycheck to tens of millions is a big adjustment, and a gradual transition is a common and sensible approach.
The store won too. Ernie's Liquors received a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket, a reminder that a jackpot ripples out into the community around it.
Why This Claim Went So Smoothly
Many big group wins make headlines for the wrong reasons: disputes over who was in, lawsuits from former members, arguments about shares. This one didn't. From the public accounts, three things stand out:
- Everyone paid the same amount, so the split was simple: 11 equal shares.
- Everyone was clearly in, from the supervisor down, so nobody was left arguing about membership.
- They acted fast but calmly, claiming the next day with the group's decisions already made.
What Your Group Can Learn
1. Small stakes, big outcomes
A $2 entry is easy to say yes to, and that is part of why pools work. Low-cost, low-pressure contributions keep participation easy and arguments unlikely.
2. A clear membership list makes claiming simple
When 11 people walk up to claim a prize, the single most important question is "who is in?" The group answered it immediately. Yours should be able to as well: a written list of members, kept before the draw, not assembled afterwards.
3. Equal shares avoid arguments
Equal contributions made the split obvious. If your group allows different amounts, make sure the shares are written down in advance. Our guide on splitting winnings fairly covers both approaches.
4. Claim as a group, not as one person
Large group prizes need to be reported so that each member is taxed on their own share, not the leader on the whole amount. See our guide to IRS Form 5754 for lottery groups.
5. Know your state's tax rules
California's exemption for state lottery winnings made a real difference to this group's take-home. Other states tax winnings, and members who live in a different state from where the ticket was bought may face their own rules. Check before you plan.
6. Take your time after a win
The group's decision to stay level-headed, and to keep working, shows the value of a pause. Our 48-hour jackpot checklist walks through the order to do things in.
A group that has recorded every member, every payment and every ticket can claim in hours, not weeks. FutureEdges keeps those records in one place, visible to every member.
"Eleven people, two dollars each, and a clear idea of who was in. The paperwork was ready before the luck arrived."
More Office Pool Stories
Santa Clara's coworkers aren't alone. Read about the 20 Tennessee coworkers who shared a Powerball jackpot, the "Ocean's 16" in New Jersey, and our roundup of how office pools won massive jackpots.
Sources: news coverage from NBC Bay Area, KTVU, CBS News and NBC News. Per-person figures are before taxes and are estimates.