It finally happened. After three months of no Mega Millions jackpot winners, a single ticket sold in South Carolina beat the 1-in-302.6-million chance of matching all six numbers in Tuesday night's drawing. The final jackpot amount came in at just under $1.54 billion, marking the largest amount in Mega Millions history and the second-largest lottery jackpot ever. Leading up to the drawing, lottery officials estimated that 75 percent of possible number combinations had been sold.

A clerk counts out the $300 worth Mega Millions Lotto tickets purchased by a customer. Leonard Ortiz | Orange County Register | Getty Images

South Carolina lottery officials are encouraging the winner to sign the back of the ticket and put it in a safe place — and then take a deep breath. And while all eyes might be on the Palmetto State for more information about the newest member of the one-percenters club, there's a pretty good chance that the world will never find out who won. South Carolina is one of a handful of states that allow winners to receive their prize anonymously. For the person (or group of people) laying claim to the massive Mega Millions jackpot, that's good news. "Last night's winner should definitely take advantage of that anonymity," said Jason Kurland, a partner at Rivkin Radler, a law firm in Uniondale, New York. "The luxury of going through this process without having to worry about cameras and reporters is invaluable." He added, though, that it might be harder to keep the secret closer to home. "This jackpot captured the imagination of the entire nation, so I'm sure residents of South Carolina are eager to find out who the winner is," said Kurland, who helps lottery winners navigate their sudden windfall. "If someone all of a sudden quits their job and starts spending money, people will be talking, I'm sure." It's also important to tell as few people as possible about your win. Past lottery winners have discovered the hard way that long-lost friends and family — not to mention complete strangers — can come calling, looking for loans or outright handouts.

Top 10 lottery jackpots Rank Amount Date won Game Winner locations 1 $1.586 billion Jan. 13, 2016 Powerball CA, FL, TN 2 $1.54 billion Oct. 23, 2018 Mega Millions SC 3 $758.7 million Aug. 23, 2017 Powerball MA 4 $656 million Mar. 30, 2012 Mega Millions KS, IL, MD 5 $648 million Dec. 17, 2013 Mega Millions CA, GA 6 $620 million ??? Powerball ??? 7 $590.5 million 18-May-13 Powerball FL 8 $587.5 million Nov. 28, 2012 Powerball AZ, MO 9 $564.1 million Feb. 11, 2015 Powerball NC, PR, TX 10 $559.7 million Jan. 6, 2018 Powerball NH

And given the sheer size of this jackpot, the stakes are pretty high. Regardless of whether the winner chooses to take the haul as an annuity spread out over three decades or as an immediate lump sum, the amount will be life-changing. The lump-sum option — which most lottery winners choose — is $877.8 million. Even after federal tax totaling 37 percent and South Carolina's 7 percent income tax, the total take would be roughly $491.7 million. Many financial advisors recommend taking the lump sum. If the windfall is managed and invested properly, you could end up with more over time than the annuity option would deliver.