Money Mega Millions winner of $1.5B jackpot comes forward: Why they chose the lump sum March 5, 2019 Janna Herron, USA TODAY Comments Off on Mega Millions winner of $1.5B jackpot comes forward: Why they chose the lump sum The $1.5B Mega Millions jackpot winner chose to get paid in a lump sum. Here's a breakdown of why that makes sense.