Twenty-year-old the sole winner of $570 million lottery jackpot

A twenty-year-old has just been revealed as the sole winner of a US$451 million (AUD$569,500,000) lottery jackpot – the fourth-largest in the history of the Mega Millions competition.

All of us are waiting to strike gold in one way or another, so what do you do when it happens? Listen to this episode of 9Honey's hit podcast series Life Bites:

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Shane Missler, from Maine, Florida, bought his ticket from a 7-11. (According to the Daily Mail, he used money won from a scratch-off ticket to get it.) He discovered his incredible good fortune on Friday.

"Oh. My. God," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Image: Facebook/Shane Missler

Missler elected to claim his winnings in a bulk payment of US$281,874,999 (AU$355,970,413), instead of opting for a larger amount dispersed over several payments. The money is to be paid to a trust, managed by Missler, under the name of 'Secret 007, LLC'.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Missler quit his job and put himself through a "crash course" in financial management this week.

"If there is one thing I have learned thus far in my short time on this earth it is that those who maintain a positive mindset and stay true to themselves get rewarded," Missler said in a statement given to the Times by his father and his lawyer. "I look forward to the future."

Image: Facebook/Shane Missler

"I feel so fortunate to have this incredible wealth and team behind me," the statement continued. "I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way and cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future."

Missler reiterated his thoughts on Twitter this week.

"The power of positive thinking should not be underestimated!" he wrote on January 10.

"Thank you everyone for the positive thoughts," he added on January 12, a week after his win.

"This is only the beginning. I am truly grateful and most appreciative."