Topeka ? Someone in Kansas is a whole lot richer today, but that person’s identity remains a mystery.

The Kansas Lottery on Friday announced that a Kansas resident claimed the largest jackpot ever but wants to stay anonymous.

The winner shared in the record-breaking $656 million Mega Millions jackpot drawn last week. The two other winning tickets were sold in Maryland and Illinois.

Kansas Lottery Executive Director Dennis Wilson on Friday announces a winner has come forward to grab share of 56 million Mega Millions jackpot.

The winner of the ticket worth 18.6 million wishes to remain anonymous. The person has decided to take the cash option, which after taxes was 10.5 million.

Casey's General Store district manager Robert Pizzini was on hand to receive a 0,000 check. The Casey's on Main Street in Ottawa sold the winning ticket worth 18.6 million.

The winning Kansas ticket, purchased in Ottawa, was worth $218.6 million, but the winner took the cash option, which is $157.9 million, and will become approximately $110.5 million after taxes are withheld.

Kansas Lottery Executive Director Dennis Wilson said the winner “was just in awe that they won it” and planned to retire with the winnings.

The winner came to Kansas Lottery headquarters Friday accompanied by legal counsel and a financial adviser, Wilson said.

He said the person wished to remain anonymous, which is allowed under state law. Wilson confirmed the person was a Kansas resident but he wouldn’t say if the person was a man or woman.

Although the winning numbers were drawn Friday, March 30, the person didn’t realize their ticket was a winner until Monday by checking the numbers online, Wilson said.

“They checked it over 10 times to make sure they were reading it right,” he said.

The Kansas ticket was purchased at Casey’s General Store 2688, which is located at 940 N. Main in Ottawa, lottery officials said. Telephone calls to the store could not go through Friday because the line was busy.

Robert Pizzini, district manager of Casey’s General Store, was on hand at the Kansas Lottery news conference to receive a $10,000 bonus check that goes to the store selling the winning ticket. “It’s exciting for Casey’s,” he said. But, he said, he didn’t know who at Casey’s may have sold the winning ticket, which was a $1 computer-generated “quick pick.”

Wilson said the winner plays various lottery games, but doesn’t spend much.

One of the big winners is not anonymous — the state of Kansas. Of the taxes taken out of the winnings, the state will receive $7.9 million.

During the news conference, lottery employees blew horns, threw confetti and had cake and punch. After the event, another person came in with a winning ticket from Franklin County, where Ottawa is located. This ticket was worth $100,000. “Franklin County is hot,” one lottery employee said.