California store owners who sold Mega Millions $1.22B jackpot ticket reflects on grand prize win — 3 years after tragedy

The owners of the California gas station who sold the fifth largest Mega Millions ticket in history on Friday were elated to learn their store had played a small part in the $1.22 billion jackpot win as they rebuilt the business after a devastating fire three years ago.

Jaspal Singh’s family has owned the Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) in Cottonwood, Calif. for two decades and they received word of the store’s luck just over an hour after the drawing.

Singh’s son, Ishar Gill – the store’s Director of Operations – was told by lottery officials at 9:30 local time that the store sold the winning ticket, something he couldn’t believe happened, according to KRCR.

Gill said he had to look at the message several times before sharing the life-changing news.

“I had to read it two, three times,” Gill told the outlet. “I told my wife, and then we ran over to my dad’s room and told him, and he’s like, ‘Are you guys sure?… Did we really win?’”

“Everybody knows about it. Everybody’s excited,” he added.

The winning numbers were 3, 7, 37, 49, 55, and the gold Mega ball of 6.

Gill got confirmation from officials at 11:30 p.m. and was told they would be checking out the store Saturday to “cross our T’s and dot our I’s,” Gill told the Record Searchlight.

Singh and his family will receive an incentive from the California Lottery for selling the billion-dollar ticket.

Retailers receive one-half of one percent of the jackpot amount for selling the winning ticket, up to a million dollars, according to the state lottery.

Store staff have no idea who the mysterious jackpot winner is or which day the ticket was sold.

The unidentified lucky ticketholder can choose between the $1.22 billion jackpot paid out in installments over 29 years or take the one-time lump sum estimated at $549.7 million.

One shopper gave the owners advice, telling them to leave Cottonwood — a 6,000-person town, 145 miles north of Sacramento — and enjoy their new financial gift.

“Way to do it, man,” Christina, a Shasta County resident said, according to KRCR. “I hope you live the rest of your life in peace and happiness, just ride off into the sunset, forget this Podunk town.”

In August 2021, the gas station was destroyed when flames engulfed the entire building and forced the family to start a “long and difficult” two-year “road to recovery.”

The family reopened the station in March 2023.

The Circle K owners say they aren’t going anywhere and will be giving some of the money back to their Cottonwood community.

“To our amazing community—thank you for supporting us and making us part of your daily lives. Whether it’s for gas, snacks, or just a friendly hello, you all mean the world to us,” the store wrote on Facebook Saturday morning.

“Here’s to dreams coming true, and to the wonderful people who make Cottonwood so special.”