Illinois ticket wins $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot
A Powerball ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers in Wednesday's draw, securing an estimated $1.04 billion prize, the eighth-largest in the game’s history.
A Powerball ticket purchased in Illinois matched all six numbers drawn on Wednesday, resulting in an estimated $1.04 billion jackpot, the largest prize this year and the eighth-largest ever for the game. The winning combination was 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9, with a 2× Power Play multiplier applied.
The winner may choose between an annuitized payout spread over 29 years or a lump-sum cash option of about $450.5 million, both amounts before taxes. The draw marked the 44th consecutive drawing since the last jackpot was hit on May 2.
"Last year, two Powerball jackpots exceeded $1 billion, including a $1.8 billion prize on Christmas Eve, the largest U.S. lottery award ever," the lottery organization noted.