10 Biggest Powerball Jackpots Ever
Are you wondering what was the biggest jackpot ever? We’ve listed the top ten Powerball lottery jackpots, counting down from tenth place to the biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, which is also the world record jackpot prize. If you get lucky, maybe one day you will find your name on this list!
10. The Power Pack - 20 January 2021 - US$731.1 Million
A ticket purchased at the Coney Market, a convenience store in Lonaconing, Maryland, had the only full match of the Powerball numbers drawn. The prize was claimed on 26 May 2021 by anonymous winners who identified themselves as “The Power Pack.” The winners chose the US$546.8 million lump sum cash option (approximately US$366.6 million after federal and state taxes). According to Maryland Lottery officials, the winners will invest their money in caring for their families and positively impacting their communities "for generations to come."
9. Becky Bell - 6 February 2023 - US$754.6 Million.
A single ticket in Washington won a US$754.6 million Powerball jackpot (US$407.2 million cash) after matching all six numbers drawn - white balls 5, 11, 22, 23, 69 and red Powerball 7. The 34th drawing of this Powerball jackpot finally brought it home after being eluded for so long. Final ticket sales bumped the jackpot higher than what was estimated to US$754.6 million at the time of the drawing, this makes it the fifth-biggest Powerball jackpot and ninth-biggest U.S. lottery jackpot to ever be won.
8. Mavis Wanczyk - 23 August 2017 - US$758.7 Million
It looked like Powerball was on its way to a second billion-dollar jackpot, but that was not to be. Even so, the winner of the draw on 23 August 2017 went straight into the record books! Mavis Wanczyk, a hospital worker from Massachusetts, was the sole winner of an incredible US$758.7 million jackpot prize. This win set records, at the time, for the second biggest American lottery jackpot ever awarded, as well as the highest annuitized jackpot and cash value prize ever won by a single ticket.
Surprisingly, Massachusetts Lottery officials and Wanczyk held a press conference shortly after the draw. This was quite unusual as big lottery winners tend to retain their privacy as long as possible. Apparently Wanczyk couldn't keep her jackpot win a secret!
7. Manuel Franco - 27 March 2019 - US$768.4 Million
A single ticket purchased in Wisconsin was the only winner of a US$768.4 million (US$477 million cash) Powerball jackpot, the fourth-largest in U.S. lottery history. The winning numbers were white balls 16, 20, 37, 44, 62, plus Powerball 12. The winner of the enormous prize was identified as a 24-year-old Wisconsin man named Manuel Franco. At a press conference Franco said, “To win feels something like a dream and I feel like at any moment I might wake up. I just can’t believe an ordinary guy like me would ever be in this position. … I will say that the two-dollar ticket you buy is worth the chance to change your life forever. It certainly has changed my life and I look forward to the future.”
6. "The Breakfast Club" - 1 January 2024 - US$842.4 Million
After 35 suspense-filled rollovers, a single Powerball ticket sold in a Grand Blanc, Michigan convenience store snagged the US$842.4 million jackpot on New Year's Day. Talk about starting 2024 on the right foot! The lucky ticket had matched all six numbers, which were: 12 21 42 44 49 and Powerball 1. The jackpot winners, a couple from the center of Michigan and a lawyer from the west side of the state, chose to receive their prize money in a one-time lump sum worth US$425.2 million. Not only is this the first win of the year, but it is also now ranked the 10th biggest prize awarded in US lottery history.
5. Yanira Alvarez - 19 July 2023 - US$1.08 Billion
Yanira Alvarez from California was the sole winner of the US$1.08 billion (US$558.1 million cash) Powerball jackpot after successfully matching all six numbers. The winning numbers were white balls 7, 10, 11, 13, 24, plus Powerball 24 and the Power Play multiplier was 2X. After pushing past it's original estimate of US$1 billion this jackpot is the third largest Powerball jackpot and sixth largest U.S. lottery jackpot to date.
4. Cheng “Charlie” Saephan - 6 April 2024 - US$1.326 Billion
Following a brief delay in the pre-draw procedures, Cheng “Charlie” Saephan from Portland was revealed as the sole winner of the April 6 Powerball jackpot. With all six drawn numbers successfully matched, the astonishing jackpot prize of US$1.326 billion was secured, boasting a cash value of US$621 million.
The winning combination for this draw comprised the following numbers: 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 for the white balls, and 9 for the red Powerball. Moreover, the Power Play multiplier stood at 3X.
3. Lisa & John Robinson; The Nickel 95 Trust; & Marvin and Mae Acosta - 13 January 2016 - US$1.586 Billion
US Powerball made significant rule changes in 2015, which they hoped would give them a billion-dollar jackpot by 2020. Turns out they only had to wait a few months, not years, to see their billionaire dreams come true.
After more than two months of rollovers, the jackpot was climbing closer and closer to the US$1 billion mark. It was utter madness around the world as millions of people clamoured to buy Powerball tickets off- and online. When the jackpot finally rose to US$1.58 billion, the whole world held its breath in anticipation. On 13 January 2016, three tickets with the winning numbers -- 4, 8, 19, 27, 34 and Powerball 10 -- made lottery history. Not only was this the biggest jackpot in U.S. history, but it was also the biggest lottery jackpot in the world for six years!
John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee were so excited, they just had to let the entire nation know that they were one of the fantastically lucky winners. John, an Air Force veteran, and Lisa, who works in a dermatology clinic, participated in a television interview before they even claimed their winnings!
The Tennessee Lottery confirmed that the pair was indeed one of the historic lottery winners and the couple claimed its unbelievable US$528 million share at a lottery press conference. The couple brought along their daughter Tiffany and their dog Abby, who promptly fell asleep as they were handed their epic cheque. Lisa and John decided to take the lump sum cash option of US$327.8 million before taxes.
Another US$528 million prize was claimed by The Nickel 95 Trust. The trustee is Maureen Smith, 70, of Melbourne Beach, Florida. The Trust also chose to receive the winnings in a one-time, lump-sum payment.
The final winning Powerball ticket belonged to Marvin and Mae Acosta from southern California. Unlike the other two winners, the Acostas waited seven months before they came forward to claim their third of the prize. The reason for the delay was that the couple had enlisted a team of lawyers and financial advisers to help handle this incredible prize.
2. Theodorus Struyck and group - 11 October 2023 - US$1.765 Billion
The California Dream does come true! Theodorus Struyck and his group from California clinched the second-biggest Powerball jackpot of all time. The US$1.765 billion prize was finally won after 36 weeks of suspenseful rollovers, making it the second billion-dollar Powerball jackpot won in 2023. Struyck matched all six winning numbers, which were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64, and the Powerball 10.
1. WORLD RECORD JACKPOT! WORLD RECORD JACKPOT! Edwin Castro - 7 November 2022 - US$2.04 Billion
The much-anticipated draw finally came around, but due to a technical glitch, it would be pushed off by a day, increasing sales and pushing the jackpot to US$2.04 billion! Though millions across the globe were playing Powerball in a bid to win this historic top prize, it was a single ticket purchased in California that finally managed to correctly guess the winning numbers on 7 November 2022, making Edwin Castro the owner of the world’s biggest jackpot in history.
The last time a Powerball crossed the billion-dollar mark had been six years ago, so when this jackpot reached US$1.9 billion, lottery fans around the world were on edge waiting to see if someone would finally match the unprecedented prize or if it would once again increase and surpass US$2 billion - something no other jackpot in history has ever done! A record-breaking US$156.3 million will be awarded to California's public schools – thanks to the win. School attendance records will determine the distribution of the prize.
“As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California Public School system,” Castro’s statement reads.
Biggest Powerball Jackpots - Can You Win One?
Winning any Powerball jackpot is an incredible feat, and you’re no doubt envious of the winners! There is only one way to to take a chance at finding yourself listed among the top ten Powerball jackpot winners of all time. Playing the lottery! Purchase your Powerball tickets now and maybe you will get lucky!!
Powerball's US$2.04 billion jackpot set a world record, but Mega Millions passed it with its own record jackpot of $1.602 billion! Take a look at our list of top Mega Millions jackpots and check how Powerball compares with Mega Millions for more information.