1 ticketholder wins 2nd-largest Powerball jackpot
A Powerball ticket purchased in California has won the top prize in Wednesday’s $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot drawing.
Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $1.73 billion to $1.765 billion, making it the second-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
The winning jackpot ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, California according to the lottery. The jackpot winner can choose an annuitized prize of $1.765 billion paid over three decades or a cash lump sum payment of $774.1 million, according to the lottery website. Both prize options are before taxes.
“Congratulations to the newest Powerball billionaire and the millions of Powerball players who won other cash prizes in last night’s drawing,” Drew Svitko, Powerball Product Group Chair and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director said in a news release. “For 31 years, some players who have dreamed about winning a Powerball jackpot have defied the odds, and in doing so, have helped generate critical funding for public services and programs supported by U.S. lotteries.”
Wednesday’s winning numbers were 22, 24, 40, 52 and 64 and red Powerball 10. The power play multiplier was 2X.
Other top-winning tickets in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing include seven tickets that matched all five white balls to each win $1 million. Those tickets were purchased in California (2 tickets), Florida (2 tickets), New York, Oklahoma and Virginia.
Two other tickets, sold in Arizona and Pennsylvania, matched all five white balls and each won a $2 million prize by including the Power Play option.
The Powerball jackpot eluded players for three straight months before someone won the top prize Wednesday on the 36th drawing of the jackpot run.
Other Powerball jackpots won this year include a a $1.08 billion jackpot, won in California on July 19 (which was the most recent jackpot before Wednesday’s grand prize); $754.6 million jackpot won in Washington on Jan. 5; a $162.6 million jackpot won in Virginia on March 4; and a $252.6 million jackpot won in Ohio on April 19.
Powerball drawings are held each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EST. Drawings can be viewed live at powerball.com/watch-drawing. Powerball tickets cost $2 each.
The jackpot has reset to an estimated $20 million, with a cash option of $8.8 million. The next drawing will be held on Saturday.
Top 10 Powerball Jackpots
1 $2.04 billion, Nov. 7, 2022: Won in California
2 $1.765 billion, Oct. 11, 2023: Won in California
3 $1.586 billion, Jan. 13, 2016: Three winners in California, Florida, Tennessee
4 $1.08 billion, July 19, 2023: Won in California
5 $768.4 million, March 27, 2019: Won in Wisconsin
6 $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017: Won in Massachusetts
7 $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023: Won in Washington
8 $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021: Won in Maryland
9 $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021: Won in California
10 $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018: Two winners in Iowa, New York