The Small City 'Entrepreneur' Magazine Named One of the Country's Most Innovative Is Also Home to the $1 Billion Mega Millions Winner We knew that Novi, MI was a hotbed for business investment, but couldn't have predicted it would be the epicenter of a historic lottery jackpot.

By Kenny Herzog Edited by Dan Bova Jan 25, 2021

Last month, we hailed the Detroit suburb of Novi, MI as the number-two American-heartland city essential to the future of innovation. Clearly, we underestimated just how much mojo the industrious, Great Lakes-adjacent hub of roughly 60,000 people had going for it.

This past Friday, an as-yet-unnamed Michigonian purchased a winning, $1.05 billion Mega Millions ticket at a Kroger supermarket in Novi. It's the third-largest prize in U.S. lottery history. (Odds of winning were placed at one in 302.5 million. To put that into perspective, the total U.S. population currently stands a bit shy of 330 million.)

Novi Mayor Bob Gatt gloated to the New York Times over the weekend about both the jackpot and his city's high placement on Entrepreneur's ranking of innovative cities. Hopefully whoever does come forward to claim their fortune feels as bullish on investment in Gatt's city as we do.

Kenny Herzog

Entrepreneur Staff

Digital Content Director

Kenny Herzog is currently Digital Content Director at Entrepreneur Media. Previously, he has served as Editor in Chief or Managing Editor for several online and print publications, and contributed his byline to outlets including Rolling Stone, New York Magazine/Vulture, Esquire, The Ringer, Men's Health, TimeOut New York, A.V. Club, Men's Journal, Mic, Mel, Nylon and many more.

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