Single ticket wins $2.4b, second-largest US Powerball jackpot ever

SAN FRANCISCO – One of the largest US Powerball jackpots ever has been won, the lottery group said on Wednesday night.

At US$1.765 billion (S$2.42 billion), it was the second-largest jackpot ever in the United States.

The winning numbers were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball 10.

Huge jackpots have become increasingly common in the multistate Mega Millions and Powerball lottery drawings, because of changes to the games over the years and higher ticket prices.

Between the two lotteries, nine jackpots in the United States have reached US$1 billion or more since 2016, including four this year.

This summer, two separate tickets won billion-dollar jackpots: In California, on July 19, when a Powerball ticket won US$1.08 billion, and then in Florida, on Aug 9, when a single ticket won a Mega Millions jackpot of US$1.58 billion.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest US jackpots ever.

1. US$2.04 billion

The largest lottery jackpot to date, a Powerball drawing, was won on Nov 7, 2022. The ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Centre in Altadena, California, just north of Pasadena.

On Feb 14, California Lottery officials revealed the name of the winner, Mr Edwin Castro, but did not release further information about him at his request.

2. US$1.765 billion

A single Powerball ticket sold in California won the second-largest US lottery jackpot on Wednesday night. It was the first Powerball jackpot won since July 19. Taken as a cash payout instead of an annuity, it would be worth US$774.1 million before taxes.

The California Lottery said the winning ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, a rural town about 113km north of Los Angeles.

3. US$1.59 billion

The third-biggest jackpot, also a Powerball, was split three ways. The winning numbers were drawn on Jan 13, 2016, matching tickets bought in Chino Hills, California, a suburb of Los Angeles; Munford, Tennessee, north of Memphis; and Melbourne Beach, Florida, on the Atlantic Coast.

“I think we can all live on US$528 million, don’t you think?” Mr Russ Lopez, a spokesperson for the California Lottery, said at the time.

4. US$1.58 billion

This was the Mega Millions jackpot that was won on Aug 9. Taken as a single, after-tax cash payout, the prize would be US$783.3 million.

The winning ticket was one of more than 7 million winning ones sold across all prize levels, including two tickets worth US$2 million each that were sold in Florida and North Carolina, the company said in a statement.

A winner came forward on Sept 25, but the person’s identity has not been released because state law allows anonymity for up to 90 days, until the prize is claimed, lottery officials said.

5. US$1.54 billion

A single ticket sold in Simpsonville, South Carolina, won a Mega Millions jackpot on Oct 23, 2018. The prize was not claimed until March of the following year, when an anonymous winner came forward through a lawyer, opting for a one-time lump sum of US$877,784,124 instead of taking payments over 30 years.

6. US$1.35 billion

A single ticket sold in Lebanon, Maine, won an estimated US$1.35 billion in the Mega Millions drawing on Jan 13, 2023. A winner came forward a month later but chose to remain anonymous, officials said. The person collected the prize, through a limited liability company, as a single cash payment of US$723,564,144 before taxes.

7. US$1.34 billion

The winning Mega Millions ticket on July 29, 2022, was sold in Des Plaines, Illinois. After several weeks, an anonymous winner came forward. Illinois is one of several states that allow lottery winners to keep their names and addresses confidential.

8. US$1.08 billion

After three months without a winner, a single ticket sold in Los Angeles won the Powerball jackpot July 19. The winner has not come forward. It was the second time in eight months that a winning ticket for a jackpot of more than US$1 billion was sold in Los Angeles County.

The winner could opt to take the payment as a lump sum, which would be about US$558.1 million before taxes, according to Powerball.

9. US$1.05 billion

A group identified as the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County won just over US$1 billion in the Mega Millions drawing on Jan 22, 2021, after buying a ticket in Novi, Michigan.

10. US$768.4 million

Mr Manuel Franco of Wisconsin won a US$768.4 million prize in the Powerball drawing on March 27, 2019. The sum was enough for Mr Franco to quit his job within two days of winning.

Wisconsin has no law protecting the identities of people who win lotteries, which means Mr Franco was required to come forward publicly. NYTIMES