A Washington, D.C., school bus driver won $5 million on a $50 LUXE scratch-off bought at a 7-Eleven in Maryland. Then he did something most people wouldn’t: he put the ticket away and went to work. Here is what has been confirmed, what has only been reported, and what a $5 million scratch-off is worth once the taxes come out.
Stations in the NBC network reported the story, and USA Today ran it nationally in mid-May 2026. The winner is Maurice Williams, a school bus driver who works in D.C. He won the top prize on the Maryland Lottery’s $50 LUXE instant game, and the reports say he has claimed it.
We have found no later update. That means no dispute over the prize, no change to the amount, and no new public statement from the winner. If the Maryland Lottery puts out new details, such as a retailer bonus or an updated count of unclaimed top prizes, we will add them here.
Why it matters: this was a rollover win. Williams turned a smaller prize into a second ticket, and that second ticket hit the top prize. It’s also a useful real case for walking through the decisions every big winner faces: cash or annuity, taxes, privacy and timing.
How the school bus driver won $5 million
Here is how the win went, based on the reports:
- The first ticket: Williams won $50 on a LUXE scratch-off.
- The rollover: He used that $50 to buy another LUXE ticket at a Maryland 7-Eleven, instead of cashing it out.
- The near miss: The winning number was 59, which was also his age. Reports say he nearly missed the match and only knew for sure after he scanned the ticket.
- The reaction: He called his mother, put the ticket somewhere safe and went to his shift driving the bus.
Going to work wasn’t just a quirky detail. It was the right move. When you’re holding a ticket worth millions, the worst thing you can do is rush. You won’t lose the prize by waiting a day, but you can lose a lot by acting in a panic.
Timeline
| Step | What happened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wins $50 on a LUXE scratch-off | Reported |
| 2 | Uses the $50 to buy a second LUXE ticket at a Maryland 7-Eleven | Reported |
| 3 | Scratches the ticket, finds 59 (his age) and confirms the $5M win by scanning it | Reported |
| 4 | Calls his mother, puts the ticket away and works his bus shift | Reported |
| 5 | Claims the prize with the Maryland Lottery | Reported |
| 6 | The story runs nationally (USA Today, May 15, 2026) | Confirmed |
The Maryland Lottery usually announces a win a few days or weeks after the claim. So the exact purchase date may come before the coverage. Use the Lottery’s own winner release as the final word on dates.
Who is affected
The winner and his family
According to the coverage, Williams plans to save the money and help his mother with a home. That fits a pattern you see often with big scratch-off winners. The first priorities tend to be housing and family, not big purchases.
Other LUXE players
Reports put the overall odds of winning any prize on LUXE at about 1 in 2.5. That number is easy to misread. Most of those wins are small, and many simply pay back the ticket price. The odds of the top prize are far longer. They depend on how many tickets were printed and how many top prizes are left, and both numbers change over the life of the game. Check the game page on the Maryland Lottery website before you buy. If the top prizes are already gone, the ticket is worth less than its sticker price.
A note on rollovers: putting a $50 win into another ticket doesn’t improve your odds. Each ticket is a separate draw from what’s left in the game. Williams’s second ticket was lucky, not well chosen.
School bus drivers and school staff
This story caught on partly because of who won. School bus drivers have early split shifts and fairly modest pay, and many districts have been short of drivers for years. For more coverage of the people who keep schools running, see our Education section.
Official response
The Maryland Lottery’s winner announcements usually include the game, the store and a few comments from the winner. Maryland is also one of the states that lets winners stay anonymous, so many releases use nicknames. Here, the winner’s name was published in the coverage, and his comments were about saving the money and buying a home.
Maryland also pays stores a bonus for selling a big winning ticket. We have not seen a bonus amount confirmed for this 7-Eleven. Check the Lottery’s release for the figure before you quote one.
What happens next: a $5 million lottery prize after taxes
Lump sum or annuity
Big scratch-off prizes may pay out as a cash lump sum or as yearly payments, depending on the game’s rules. The rules for each game set the options and any discount on the cash payment. The trade-off works the same way everywhere:
- Lump sum: you get control of the money right away and can invest it however you like. You also pay all the tax in one year, at the top federal rate.
- Annuity: you get a steady payment and some protection against spending too fast. The tax is spread over many years. The downside is that inflation eats into later payments, and the money is locked in.
What $5 million is worth after taxes
These are estimates on a full $5 million paid in one year. If there’s a discounted cash option, every figure shrinks in the same proportion.
| Item | Approximate amount |
|---|---|
| Gross prize | $5,000,000 |
| Federal withholding at claim (24%) | −$1,200,000 |
| Maryland state withholding (about 8–9%, depending on residency) | about −$400,000 to −$447,500 |
| Check at claim | about $3.35M–$3.4M |
| Extra federal tax owed at filing (the top bracket is 37%) | about −$600,000 or more |
| Realistic take-home before local or D.C. tax | about $2.75M–$2.8M |
Many winners get caught by the gap between what’s withheld and what they actually owe. The 24% withheld at claim isn’t the full federal bill. Set aside cash for the rest before you spend anything. Where you live also matters: a D.C. resident who wins in Maryland can usually claim a credit for the tax paid to Maryland, but the D.C. return still has to be filed. A CPA should sort that out, not a calculator.
How claiming a big prize works in Maryland
- Sign the back of the ticket right away. An unsigned ticket works like cash.
- Take photos of both sides and keep the ticket somewhere secure.
- Make an appointment to claim at Lottery headquarters, which handles large prizes. Bring a government ID and your Social Security number.
- Decide about anonymity before you go. Maryland lets you keep your name private.
- Watch the deadline. Maryland usually allows 182 days, and for instant games the clock is tied to the game’s end date. Check your game’s rules.
Florida note: claiming a big scratch-off win here
If you win big on a Florida Lottery scratch-off, a few things work differently:
- No state income tax. On a $5 million prize, that alone saves you hundreds of thousands of dollars compared with Maryland. Federal tax still applies.
- Where to claim: large prizes are claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee or at a district office, depending on the amount. Confirm the current limit on the Florida Lottery’s claim page before you travel.
- Privacy is limited. Florida doesn’t allow permanent anonymity. Under state law, the names of winners of $250,000 or more stay confidential for only 90 days after the claim. After that, your name can become public.
Three things to do first if you win
- Slow down. Do what Williams did. Secure the ticket and keep to your normal routine until you have a plan.
- Hire help before you claim. That means a fee-only financial planner, a CPA and an estate attorney. Interview at least two of each.
- Expect scams. Fake “lottery official” calls and requests for fees go after publicized winners. No real lottery asks you to pay to collect a prize. It also helps to put your number on private before you return a flood of calls.
FAQs
Who is the school bus driver who won $5 million in the lottery?
Reports name him as Maurice Williams, a school bus driver in Washington, D.C. He won the top $5 million prize on the Maryland Lottery’s $50 LUXE scratch-off.
Where was the winning $5 million lottery ticket sold?
The ticket was bought at a 7-Eleven in Maryland. The Maryland Lottery’s winner release is the official source for the exact store and any bonus the store received.
Did the school bus driver go back to work after winning?
Yes. Reports say he called his mother, put the ticket away and went to his bus shift. Waiting before you claim is sound advice for any big winner.
How much does a $5 million lottery win pay after taxes?
On a full $5 million, 24% federal withholding plus about 8–9% Maryland withholding leaves about $3.35 million at claim. After the full federal bill at the top 37% rate, take-home is closer to $2.75–$2.8 million, before any D.C. or local tax.
Should you take the lump sum or annuity on a scratch-off prize?
A lump sum gives you control and investment options, but you pay all the tax in one year. An annuity spreads out the tax and protects you from spending too fast, but inflation reduces later payments. Talk to a CPA and a fee-only planner before you choose.
Can lottery winners stay anonymous?
It depends on the state. Maryland lets winners keep their names private. Florida keeps the names of winners of $250,000 or more confidential for only 90 days, and after that your name can become public.
