California Lottery jackpot winners' earnings total $98 million

LOS ANGELES - California's two latest jackpot winners are raking in some big bucks - a combined $98 million! 

According to the California Lottery, Jerry Heath won the $44.3 million Powerball jackpot from August.

"I’m a very fortunate human being," Heath told the California Lottery. He shared his low-income upbringing, adding, "I can’t forget where I came from now that I’m a multimillionaire. I don’t really travel; playing the lottery is my only luxury." 

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Heath said he is sharing his winnings with his daughter and grandchildren.

His lucky ticket was purchased at the Ralphs on Golden Lantern in Dana Point.

Meanwhile, Terry Thomas won a SuperLotto Plus jackpot drawing from July. He matched all six numbers to take home the $54 million grand prize. That lucky ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven on Cottonwood Street in Woodland.

If you're feeling lucky, the Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday night's drawing is now an estimated $541 million.

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According to the California Lottery, no one has hit the jackpot since September. Before that, Mega Millions jackpots were hit in June in Illinois and in March in New Jersey.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Tickets are currently $2 each, and in most areas, players can add the Megaplier for an additional $1 to multiply their non-jackpot prizes.  However, the price of a ticket will more than double to $5 starting in April 2025, with lottery officials promising larger prizes and more winners.

The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, according to lottery officials – and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

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The drawing is at 8 p.m. local time.