It’s official: two tickets sold in Missouri and Texas matched the numbers in Saturday night’s drawing for the Powerball jackpot. These lucky ticket holders are set to share the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, though their identities remain a mystery for now.
This split-ticket victory isn’t particularly surprising, especially after weeks of anticipation surrounding the rising jackpot. As of Saturday, the Powerball jackpot was initially estimated at $1.8 billion. However, it was later confirmed to total $1.78 billion, with a cash option of about $820 million.
While this jackpot is certainly substantial, it required a few extra drawings without any winners to reach this impressive sum. It still falls short of the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that holds the title for the largest ever.
The Largest Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpots
- $2.04 billion (Powerball): November 7, 2022, California
- $178.7 million (Powerball): September 6, 2025, Missouri, Texas
- $1.765 billion (Powerball): October 11, 2023, California
- $1.62 billion (Mega Millions): August 8, 2023, Florida
- $158.6 million (Powerball): January 13, 2016, California, Florida, Tennessee
- $1.537 billion (Mega Millions): October 23, 2018, South Carolina
- $1.34 billion (Mega Millions): January 13, 2023, Maine
- $1.337 billion (Mega Millions): July 29, 2022, Illinois
- $1.326 billion (Powerball): April 6, 2024, Oregon
- $1.269 billion (Mega Millions): December 27, 2024, California
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are daunting, sitting at about one in 292.2 million. Yet, it’s interesting to note that split tickets aren’t too rare; this marks the 19th instance since 2003.
The jackpot-winning tickets were purchased in Missouri and Texas, with the Texas ticket sold in Fredericksburg, roughly 70 miles from San Antonio.
Despite the magnitude of this jackpot, the winners might remain unknown. Both Missouri and Texas allow winners to maintain their anonymity when claiming such large prizes.
In Missouri, winners can choose whether to disclose their names, while in Texas, those who win over $1 million have the option to stay anonymous, though their county of residence might still be made public.
The clock is ticking for these winners, who have 180 days to claim their prize. This could potentially yield around $893.5 million in annuity payments or about $410 million in cash, pre-tax, after sharing it.
After this win, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million, with a cash value of approximately $9.2 million. The next drawing is set for Monday at 10:59 p.m.
