Winning Mega Millions ticket worth $543M sold in Calif.

Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif.

California Lottery officials handed over a symbolic $1 million check to the owners of the Northern California liquor store that sold the sole winning ticket to an estimated $543 million Mega Millions lottery prize.

Russ Lopez, deputy director of corporate communications, said Wednesday outside Ernie’s Liquors in San Jose that the holder of the ticket has one year to claim the prize.

The winner or winners, who have not yet claimed the prize, can take about $320 million in a lump-sum cash option or $543 million over 29 years.

California schools will get an estimated $50 million from sales, Lopez said.

The biggest Mega Millions jackpot – $656 million – was won in 2012.