'I won record-breaking $348m lottery jackpot and made a very unusual first purchase'

Virginia's biggest-ever lottery jackpot has been claimed by a winner with an unusual first purchase in mind.

The anonymous player bagged a jaw-dropping $348 million Mega Millions prize in the June 27 draw, being the only ticket holder to match all six winning numbers: 18, 21, 29, 42, 50 and Mega Ball 2.

Almost a month later, they stepped forward at the Virginia Lottery headquarters in Richmond to collect their windfall, according to Local12. State law allows anyone who wins $1 million or more to keep their identity under wraps, and the jackpot winner chose to do just that.

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However, they did let slip one quirky detail—their very first buy will be a zero-turn riding lawn mower.

The winner opted for a one-off cash payout of $155.6 million before taxes, rather than annual instalments over 30 years, reports The Mirror US.

While this prize sets a record for Virginia, it pales in comparison to some of the largest jackpots in U.S. history. The biggest ever was a staggering $2.04 billion, won in California in November 2022.

Mega Millions also saw a record-breaking $1.58 billion jackpot in 2023, claimed by a ticket in Florida.

Extravagant spending is nothing new for jackpot winners, but it often takes surprising forms. After cashing in a $319 million Mega Millions jackpot in 2011, John Kutey and his wife Linda donated $200,000 of their $28.7 million share to build Spray Park, a water park in Green Island, New York, in honour of their parents.

In 2012, 81-year-old Louise White of Newport, Rhode Island, stopped to buy rainbow sherbet at a Stop & Shop just before purchasing a lottery ticket worth $336.4 million,ABC News reported. In a sweet tribute to her good fortune, she created The Rainbow Sherbet Trust to benefit her family.

That same year, Canadian cannabis activist Bob Erb became $25 million wealthier after buying a ticket on the way to his father's funeral, reports The Mirror.

A lottery player for 43 years, the seasonal construction worker pledged to continue working and donate his wages to a food bank. He also channelled $1 million into supporting 420 Day, an annual event promoting marijuana legalisation.

"I just went in, checked the lottery ticket—25 and a whole bunch of zeroes," Erb recounted to CBC News. "I pulled the ticket out (of the machine) and I said, 'Oh my God. I think I won $25 million.'"

He told reporters that his spending plans included charity, family, and a cause close to his heart: the legalisation and decriminalization of marijuana—and he has held tight to that promise ever since.