A $451 million mystery is over.
A 20-year-old “retired” background screening worker from Florida claimed the fourth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions lottery history, lotto officials confirmed.
Shane Missler, of Port Richey, was the lone winner of the Jan. 5 jackpot. He elected to take a lump sum payout of $281.2 million, officials said.
Missler plans on plunking down some of the lottery loot for a new home in Tampa and then pursuing a “variety of passions,” according to the Florida Lottery, as well as helping others.
“I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way, and cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future,” Missler said in a statement. “I have always been one to encourage the idea of chasing dreams and I believe life is about the pursuit of passion. I am 20 years old and my journey has only just begun.
The win didn’t come as a shock for Missler, whose attorney set up a private limited company called “Secret 007, LLC,” officials said.
In fact, Missler informed officials that after purchasing the ticket at the 7-Eleven convenience store on Ridge Road in Port Richey, about 40 miles northwest of Tampa — he had “a feeling” he would win the jackpot.
