Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old woman, is the single winner to claim the second largest lottery prize in U.S. history, the $590 million dollar Powerball jackpot. VPC 
 
 Powerball winner Gloria Mackenzie, 84, leaves the lottery office escorted by her son Scott Mackenzie, right, after claiming her lottery prize. (Photo: Steve Cannon, AP) Story Highlights Winner is 84-year-old Gloria MacKenzie 
 
 She told lottery officials a man allowed her to go in front of him in line 
 
 She elected to take the lump-sum payment of $370.8M, pre-tax 
 
 The winner of a record $590.5 million Powerball jackpot is an 84-year-old Florida woman, lottery officials say. 
 
 Gloria MacKenzie came forward two weeks after hitting the second-largest lottery jackpot ever. She didn't attend a Wednesday press conference although under Florida law, her name was disclosed. 
 
 STORY: Jackpot winner has Florida city abuzz 
 
 MacKenzie elected to receive her winnings in a lump-sum payment, worth a pre-tax $370.8 million. She bought the winning ticket at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, a town of 13,000 about 30 miles northeast of Tampa. 
 
 MacKenzie, a mother of four, grandmother and great-grandmother, did not speak to reporters outside lottery headquarters, leaving in a silver Ford Focus with family members. But lottery officials say that MacKenzie told them as she was waiting in line to buy her ticket, a man allowed her to go in front of him, enabling her to purchase the winning quick-pick ticket. Previously, she had purchased four additional tickets ahead of the May 18 drawing. 
 
 In a statement, MacKenzie said she was "grateful for this blessing of winning'' but said she preferred to stay out of the limelight. "We hope that everyone will give us an opportunity to maintain our privacy for our family's benefit," she said. 
 
 Wednesday's announcement ended two weeks of speculation among the dreamers who had snapped up millions of tickets. 
 
 The jackpot eclipsed the $587.6 million Powerball jackpot split by Arizona and Missouri ticket holders last November and is second to the $656 million Mega Millions jackpot won in March 2012 by three ticket holders in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland. 
 
 MacKenzie, the largest sole lottery jackpot winner in history, had 60 days from the drawing date to claim a lump-sum payment. 
 
 Mackenzie lives in a modest grey duplex that backs up to a dirt alley and is across from a cow pasture. Neighbors said Mackenzie never mentioned her big win. The former resident of East Millinocket, Maine, has been a full-time Zephyrhills resident for several years. 
 
 "She's so quiet and secluded,'' neighbor James Hill said. "I'm very happy for her. It couldn't have happened to a nicer person. She was always pleasant and smiling." 
 
 Another neighbor, Don Cecil, joked "I hope she gets a better place to live." 
 
 MacKenzie's husband, Ralph, died in 2005. 
 
 Follow @gbstrauss on Twitter. Contributing: Stephanie Solis; Associated Press 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/ZOZXKv ||||| More than half a billion dollars will be there for the taking Friday after no winning tickets were drawn for the growing Mega Millions jackpot. 
 
 The numbers drawn Tuesday night were 7, 25, 43, 56 and 59, and the Mega Ball was 13. But no ticket matched all six numbers for the $458 million jackpot, pushing the estimated prize for the next drawing to $502 million, according to lottery officials. 
 
 Gerry Broome/AP, FILE 
 
 It's the fourth time in the game's history that the jackpot has surged past half a billion dollars. 
 
 “Jackpot rolls are always exciting, but surpassing the $500 million mark for only the fourth time is a historic milestone,” Mega Millions lead director Gordon Medenica said in a press release Wednesday morning. “Large jackpots like this one capture everyone’s attention, and it would be great to see the roll go on for a while longer. But at the same time, we can’t wait to see someone win.” 
 
 Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, FILE 
 
 The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Friday at 8:59 p.m. ET. The cash payout option for the $502 million jackpot is $301 million. 
 
 Mega Millions can be played in 44 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
– The next Mega Millions lottery winner could take home the fourth largest jackpot in its history. No ticket matched Tuesday's six drawn numbers, meaning the jackpot climbs from $458 million to $502 million for Friday's drawing. It's just the fourth time the jackpot—last won by a 20-year-old Floridian on Jan. 5—has surpassed the half-billion dollar mark, per ABC News. The highest ever jackpot was $656 million won by three players exactly six years ago Friday, reports USA Today. (This case offers a lesson, should you win.)