A $2 Powerball ticket turned into a life-changing $1.04 billion jackpot for one mystery Illinois player.
The anonymous winner officially claimed Illinois’ second-largest lottery prize on Tuesday, a little more than a month after the winning drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery.
The winner purchased the ticket at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Quincy, Illinois, near the Mississippi River and Missouri border. They used a Quick Pick and spent just $2 for a single line of numbers.
“I chose a Quick Pick and spent just $2 on a single line of Powerball numbers,” the winner told lottery officials.
The winning numbers from the August 12 drawing were:
- 4, 26, 66, 67, 69
- Powerball: 9
At first, the winner couldn't believe what had happened. They called a family member to double-check the ticket before the reality started to sink in.
“I never could have imagined that a $2 purchase would lead to a $1.04 billion jackpot,” the winner said, describing the win as an unexpected blessing.
Cash Option Comes With a Huge Payout
Rather than taking the jackpot as an annuity, the winner selected the lump-sum cash option worth $450.5 million before taxes.
Taxes will significantly reduce that amount:
- 24% federal withholding brings the initial payout to about $342.4 million.
- After additional federal taxes, the amount is estimated at roughly $283.8 million.
- Illinois will also withhold about $22.3 million based on its 4.95% tax rate.
Even after taxes, the prize remains an extraordinary fortune.
The $1.04 billion jackpot was the largest Powerball prize of the year and the eighth-largest in the game's history.
Winning Ticket Also Meant a Big Bonus for the Store
The Hy-Vee location that sold the winning ticket also had plenty to celebrate. The retailer received a $500,000 bonus for selling the billion-dollar winning ticket.
Store manager Jon Marshall previously said he suspected the winner could be one of the store's regular customers because most people visiting the location were locals rather than travelers.
Marshall said he hoped he might eventually get the chance to meet the winner and shake their hand.
Because Illinois law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, however, the identity of the new billionaire may never become public.
Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays called the claim an extraordinary moment for the state and said officials were excited to celebrate the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois.
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