Mega Millions winners are rich, but not THAT rich

JIM SALTER MICHAEL TARM Associated Press Published:


Not so fast, Richie Rich.

By taking the lump sum, and after paying taxes, you're likely to clear roughly $100 million each. There's no doubt that you're now a member of the 1 percent.

But let's just not get carried away.

Thirty years ago, had you won the jackpot alone, the $300 million would have been more than enough to land you on Forbes magazine's annual list of the 400 richest Americans.

But you're splitting it three ways. And in 2011, you would have needed $1.05 billion to tie four others for last place on a list topped by Microsoft co-founder bill Gates.