The billion dollar Powerball jackpot for the October 19, 2022 drawing was won by a single ticket sold in California. The winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and the Powerball was 10. The jackpot had rolled over 39 times before finally being won, swelling to an estimated $1.9 billion ($929.1 million cash value). This makes it the largest lottery jackpot ever won by a single ticket in U.S. history.
What were the winning Powerball numbers?
The winning numbers for the October 19, 2022 Powerball drawing were: 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and Powerball 10. The Power Play multiplier was 2X.
Where was the winning ticket sold?
The sole jackpot-winning ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California. The retailer will receive a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket. Two other tickets, sold in Florida and Tennessee, matched the first five numbers to win $1 million each.
Who won the billion dollar jackpot?
The winner of the $1.9 billion jackpot has not yet come forward to claim the prize. Lottery winners in California have up to a year from the date of the drawing to come forward. The winner will have the choice of taking the full $1.9 billion paid out over 29 years, or a lump sum payment of $929.1 million. Both prize options are before federal and state taxes.
What were the odds of winning?
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are incredibly slim, at just 1 in 292.2 million. To put this in perspective, a person is about 300 times more likely to be struck by lightning in their lifetime than to hit the Powerball jackpot. The odds are so astronomically high because the player must match all 5 white balls (chosen from 69 numbers) as well as the red Powerball (chosen from 26 numbers).
Where does the Powerball money come from?
Powerball is a multi-state lottery game operated by 45 state lotteries, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Money for the jackpot comes from ticket sales. About 50% of sales are allocated to jackpot prizes, 35% goes to other prizes, and the remaining 15% goes to operating expenses and profits for the lottery jurisdictions. When the jackpot is won, the prize pool resets to $40 million and starts growing again.
What was the biggest Powerball jackpot previously?
Before this historic $1.9 billion drawing, the previous record Powerball jackpot was $1.586 billion, which was split between 3 winning tickets on January 13, 2016. The winning tickets came from California, Florida, and Tennessee. The California and Florida winners chose the lump sum option, collecting $327.8 million before federal taxes. The Tennessee winner opted for the annuity and took home the first annual payment of $53.7 million.
How many total winning tickets were there?
Along with the single California ticket that hit the jackpot, there were 7,283,585 winning tickets at other prize levels in the October 19, 2022 drawing:
- 2 tickets matched 5 numbers (but not PB) – $1 million each
- 62 tickets matched 4 numbers + PB – $50,000 each
- 1,491 tickets matched 4 numbers (but not PB) – $100 each
- 2,624,525 tickets matched 3 numbers + PB – $100 each
- 4,646,506 tickets matched 3 numbers (but not PB) – $7 each
This amounts to over $93.9 million in prizes at lower tiers.
Has anyone won the jackpot more than once?
In the history of Powerball, there has been only one person to hit two jackpot wins. An anonymous man from Wisconsin won a $222.7 million Powerball prize in a June 2018 drawing. Incredibly, the same man won a $768.4 million Powerball jackpot just a year later in March 2019. The odds of winning two jackpot prizes are simply astronomic – about 1 in 292 quadrillion (that’s 292 followed by 15 zeros!).
What state has had the most Powerball jackpot winners?
| State | Number of Jackpots Won |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 39 |
| Missouri | 31 |
| Minnesota | 22 |
| Kentucky | 15 |
| New Jersey | 15 |
As shown in the table above, Indiana leads all states with 39 Powerball jackpots won by its players. Missouri is second with 31, followed by Minnesota with 22 jackpot wins. Powerball is not offered in five states – Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
What did the winner have to do to claim the prize?
To claim a Powerball jackpot prize, the winner must sign the back of their ticket and present it at any Powerball lottery office. The winner chooses between receiving the full amount over 29 years or a reduced lump sum. Taxes are taken out before the prize is paid. Some big winners choose to remain anonymous by claiming their jackpot through a trust or limited liability corporation (LLC). The requirements vary by state as to whether winners can remain anonymous.
How often does Powerball have drawings?
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets can be purchased up until 9:45 p.m. on draw nights. Powerball can be played in 45 U.S. states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The cost of a Powerball ticket is $2, or $3 with the Power Play option which can multiply non-jackpot prizes.
How does the Powerball jackpot grow so large?
The jackpot starts at $40 million and continues growing every drawing until it is won. The rate at which it increases depends on ticket sales and interest rates. More ticket sales means faster growth. And if no one wins for many consecutive drawings, the rollovers cause exponential growth. For this $1.9 billion jackpot, the 39 rollovers fueled huge interest in the ultra-high stakes.
Where does the money from unclaimed prizes go?
For various reasons, lottery prizes occasionally go unclaimed before the expiration date. The money from unclaimed Powerball prizes does not go back into the jackpot pool. Instead, each participating state keeps their share of unclaimed funds to use for their own benefit – often going to education, senior assistance programs, or future promotions to boost ticket sales.
What were some notable moments in Powerball history?
Some key events and changes in Powerball history:
- 1992 – Powerball begins with 15 participating lotteries
- 1997 – Powerball introduces the Power Play multiplier option
- 2012 – Record $587.5 million jackpot split between winners in Arizona and Missouri
- 2013 – Powerball doubles ticket price to $2, adds $1 million match 5 prize
- 2015 – 10X Power Play multiplier introduced
- 2016 – Record $1.586 billion jackpot shared by 3 tickets
- 2021 – Powerball adds Monday drawings
- 2022 – New record $2.04 billion jackpot
Did the winner have to pay taxes?
Yes, the winner is responsible for paying all applicable federal and state taxes on their Powerball prize money. For the record $1.9 billion jackpot, the federal tax withholding is 24% – about $306 million taken off the top by the IRS for the lump sum option. California also taxes gambling winnings at rates up to 12.3%. Accounting for federal and state taxes, the winner would take home about $550 million of the lump sum amount.
How did the jackpot get so big?
The main reason the Powerball jackpot reached an unprecedented $1.9 billion was the incredibly long streak without a winner – 39 consecutive drawings over nearly four months. This allowed the prize pool to continue rolling over and growing with each drawing. A few key factors fueled the rapid growth:
- No one matched all 6 numbers through 39 straight drawings.
- Strong ticket sales driven by Powerball fever.
- Rolling jackpots generate huge interest and headlines.
- Annuity growth over 29 years.
- 10X Power Play multiplier amped up lower prizes.
The longer the jackpot eluded winners, the bigger the prize became and the greater the ticket sales. It was a reinforcing cycle that saw the jackpot smash records with each passing draw.
How did the winner get so lucky?
In the end, the winner comes down to sheer luck and incredible odds defying fortune. While skill can increase your chances in some games, lottery jackpots are based entirely on random number generation and probability. By purchasing just the right Powerball ticket with the exact numbers drawn that night, the winner beat odds of 292.2 million to one. It took matching all 5 white balls plus the red Powerball. Whether through strategic number selection, blind luck or just random quick picks, the winner lined up the winning combination.
Could the winner have remained anonymous?
Whether lottery winners can remain anonymous varies by state. In California, where this winning ticket was sold, winners are generally required to be identified publicly. However, it may be possible for the winner to preserve some anonymity by forming a trust or limited liability corporation (LLC) to claim the prize. This shields the name of the individual winner while still providing transparency around who claimed the jackpot prize.
How did lottery officials know it was legitimate?
For any jackpot win, lottery officials go through a rigorous validation process to ensure the ticket is authentic and the winner is verified. For a prize of this magnitude, extra steps were taken by lottery security and legal staff to certify the win. The ticket may have been examined by forensics experts and even reconstructed if damaged. Officials also reviewed surveillance of the purchase and interviewed the retailer. In the end, after days of careful review, the California Lottery announced the jackpot ticket as 100% valid.
Could more than one person win if they shared tickets?
Powerball tickets can only be claimed by a single individual or legal entity. Shared ownership or group play arrangements for winning tickets are not permitted based on the rules. If multiple people attempt to claim shares of the jackpot based on a promise or agreement to split the prize, this is not allowed. Whoever holds and signs the winning ticket – whether an individual, trust or corporation – is considered the sole winner.
Did the winner come forward immediately?
There is no rush for lottery winners to immediately claim their prize. For a jackpot of this size, it is common for the winner to take their time exploring legal and financial options before coming forward. In California, lottery winners have up to a year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize. It is likely the winner carefully weighed their claiming options and assembled a team of advisors before announcing themselves.
How did lottery retailers benefit?
Retailers who sell lottery tickets enjoy benefits beyond just making commissions and bonuses on ticket sales. Lottery games bring significant foot traffic into convenience stores, gas stations, supermarkets and other retailers. This exposes customers to snack purchases and other profit drivers. When stores sell winning jackpot tickets, they earn handsome retailer bonuses from the lottery – often $1 million or more. The retailer selling this record $1.9 billion ticket earned a $1 million bonus.
Could the winner have chosen to get payments right away?
Yes, lottery winners who opt for the annuity payment stream can generally choose to receive some of their annual payments immediately in advance. For example, after claiming the October 2022 $1.9 billion jackpot, the winner could have elected to take their first 10 or 20 yearly payments in one lump sum right away. This would have provided access to hundreds of millions instantly while still receiving annuity payments over future years.
Conclusion
The winner of the world record $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot has enjoyed an astronomical change of fortune overnight. With a single Quick Pick ticket matching the numbers drawn October 19, 2022, the lucky player in California has won the biggest lottery payout on record. After federal and state taxes on the lump sum, the winner will take home over half a billion dollars. Powerball fever reached incredible heights with a 39-drawing run fueling this jackpot’s unprecedented rise. Now attention turns to the mystery around who has suddenly become one of the richest people thanks to massive Powerball luck.
