Money & Business

The Largest Lottery Jackpots in History

The biggest jackpot ever won is Powerball’s $2.04 billion, claimed by a single ticket sold in California in November 2022. All 15 of the largest jackpots on record are American, split between Powerball (8) and Mega Millions (7); only prizes that were actually won are counted, and the newest entry is August 2026.

ABC News video of the numbers being drawn for the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot

Pictured: an ABC News video of the numbers being drawn for the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, #1 on the list (drawing of November 7, 2022).

Rank Jackpot (US$ millions) Cash option (US$ millions) Game Date of draw Where the winning ticket was sold Winning tickets
12,040997.6PowerballNov 7, 2022California (Altadena)1
21,817834.9PowerballDec 24, 2025Arkansas (Cabot)1
31,787820.6 (both tickets)PowerballSep 6, 2025Missouri and Texas2
41,765774.1PowerballOct 11, 2023California (Frazier Park)1
51,602794.2Mega MillionsAug 8, 2023Florida (Neptune Beach)1
61,586983.5 (all three tickets)PowerballJan 13, 2016California, Florida and Tennessee3
71,537877.8Mega MillionsOct 23, 2018South Carolina (Simpsonville)1
81,348723.5Mega MillionsJan 13, 2023Maine (Lebanon)1
91,337780.5Mega MillionsJul 29, 2022Illinois (Des Plaines)1
101,326621.0PowerballApr 6, 2024Oregon (Portland)1
111,269571.0Mega MillionsDec 27, 2024California (Cottonwood)1
121,128537.5Mega MillionsMar 26, 2024New Jersey (Neptune Township)1
131,080558.1PowerballJul 19, 2023California (Los Angeles)1
141,050739.6Mega MillionsJan 22, 2021Michigan (Novi)1
151,040450.5PowerballAug 12, 2026Illinois (Quincy)1

Method and scope. The rule is simple: advertised annuity jackpot in US dollars, for jackpots that were won by at least one ticket. Figures are the final amounts the operators announced at the draw (sales can raise a jackpot above its earlier estimate), shown in US$ millions with no currency conversion, and the “cash option” is the one-time lump sum before taxes. Jackpots that grew but were never won, and amounts quoted before the final sales figure, are excluded. Where a jackpot was split, the cash column is the total across all winning tickets.[1][2] The list is current to October 8, 2026: the newest entry is the August 2026 Powerball win at #15, and the Mega Millions jackpots won in November 2025 ($983 million) and July 2026 ($800 million) fall below the cut-off.[3][19] Why it is all US games: the largest prizes outside the United States are far smaller. EuroMillions’ cap is €250 million, reached when a single ticket in Ireland won on June 17, 2025, and Italy’s SuperEnalotto record is €371.1 million on February 16, 2023, a shared system bet. Neither comes close to the $1.04 billion cut-off at #15, so no non-US game qualifies.[4][5] Cash options carry the most source disagreement: the Michigan 2021 lump sum is quoted as $739.6 million by most outlets but as $776 million by a few, and the Mega Millions California 2024 lump sum varies between $571.0 and $571.9 million across reports.[6][7] The Powerball jackpot odds are 1 in 292.2 million, and the odds do not change with the size of the prize.[8]

The Top 10

#1

Powerball $2.04 billion — November 7, 2022

The record jackpot was won by a single ticket sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, in Los Angeles County, California.[9] The drawing itself was delayed by a technical problem and held in the early hours of November 8, but the draw is dated November 7. The lump sum was $997.6 million, and the store received a $1 million bonus for selling the ticket.[9]

#2

Powerball $1.817 billion — December 24, 2025

A single ticket bought at a Murphy USA in Cabot, Arkansas, won on Christmas Eve 2025, ending a run of 46 drawings without a jackpot winner. The cash option was $834.9 million, which the winner took when claiming the prize; it was only the second Powerball jackpot ever won in Arkansas.[10]

#3

Powerball $1.787 billion — September 6, 2025

Two tickets matched all six numbers: one sold at a QuikTrip in north St. Louis County, Missouri, and one at a Big’s convenience store in Fredericksburg, Texas. Each ticket held half the prize, a $893.5 million annuity or a $410.3 million lump sum (about $820.6 million in cash combined), and the win ended a run of 42 drawings without a jackpot winner.[11]

#4

Powerball $1.765 billion — October 11, 2023

The winning ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, Kern County, California, and a group of ticket holders came forward to claim it.[12] The final prize was $1.765 billion with a $774.1 million cash option, higher than the roughly $1.73 billion shown in early reports before the last sales were counted.[12]

#5

Mega Millions $1.602 billion — August 8, 2023

The largest Mega Millions jackpot was won with a single ticket bought at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida, after 31 drawings without a winner.[13] The cash option was $794.2 million, and the prize was claimed through a company in late September 2023.[13]

#6

Powerball $1.586 billion — January 13, 2016

For nearly seven years the world record, this jackpot was split three ways between tickets sold in California (at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills), Florida and Tennessee. The cash value was about $983.5 million across all three tickets, roughly $327.8 million each before taxes. The video above is the Florida Lottery press conference with its winner, and it uses the pre-draw figure of $1.5 billion.[14]

#7

Mega Millions $1.537 billion — October 23, 2018

A single ticket sold at KC Mart #7 in Simpsonville, South Carolina, near Greenville, won the then-record jackpot, the state’s first Mega Millions jackpot win. Officials revised the estimate from $1.6 billion down to $1.537 billion, with a cash option of $877.8 million.[15]

#8

Mega Millions $1.348 billion — January 13, 2023

Drawn on Friday the 13th, the prize went to one ticket sold at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, Maine’s first Mega Millions jackpot. The winner took a $723.6 million lump sum through a limited liability company about six weeks later.[16]

#9

Mega Millions $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022

One ticket sold at a Speedway in Des Plaines, a Chicago suburb, matched all six numbers. The prize was first estimated at $1.28 billion before sales pushed it to $1.337 billion, with a $780.5 million cash option, and it was the largest jackpot in Illinois history at the time.[17]

#10

Powerball $1.326 billion — April 6, 2024

The winning ticket was sold at a Plaid Pantry on NE Columbia Boulevard in Portland, Oregon, and the prize, with a $621 million cash option, was later claimed by three people sharing the single ticket. It was Oregon’s first Powerball jackpot of this size, and the store received a $100,000 bonus.[18]

Lottery Jackpots Powerball Mega Millions Records

Sources

  1. Powerball (Multi-State Lottery Association), “$1.817 billion Powerball jackpot won in Arkansas” and “Ticket in California wins $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot” (annuity and cash values, official announcements) — https://www.powerball.com/1.817-billion-powerball-jackpot-won-in-arkansas; https://www.powerball.com/ticket-in-california-wins-1.765-billion-powerball-jackpot.
  2. Fortune, “Powerball prize: Here are the biggest jackpots in history and where winning tickets were sold” (December 24, 2025) — https://fortune.com/2025/12/24/powerball-prize-here-are-the-biggest-jackpots-in-history-where-winning-tickets-were-sold/.
  3. Casino.org, “Mega Millions Is Up to $800 Million — Now One of the 10 Biggest Jackpots Ever” (Mega Millions top-jackpot table with dates and states) — https://casino.org/news/mega-millions-is-up-to-800-million-one-of-the-10-biggest-jackpots. A Mega Millions jackpot of $800 million was won in Florida on July 28, 2026, and a $983 million one in Georgia on November 14, 2025; both fall below the cut-off.
  4. Western People (Irish regional press), “Irish player wins record €250m EuroMillions jackpot” — https://www.westernpeople.ie/irish-player-wins-record-250m-euromillions-jackpot_arid-61560.html. The draw date of June 17, 2025 follows the National Lottery and PA reports; one aggregator gave June 18.
  5. LaPresse, “SuperEnalotto, jackpot da record da oltre 371 milioni” (February 16, 2023) — https://www.lapresse.it/cronaca/2023/02/16/superenalotto-jackpot-da-record-da-oltre-371-milioni/.
  6. Associated Press via KSTP, “4 people in Michigan won January $1.05B Mega Millions prize” — https://kstp.com/associated-press/world/4-people-in-michigan-won-january-105b-mega-millions-prize/; CNN, “Mega Millions winner Michigan” — https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/23/us/mega-millions-winner-michigan-trnd (cash option of $739.6 million; one outlet gave $776.6 million).
  7. Casino.org, “Single Ticket Wins $1.269B Mega Millions Jackpot, Ninth-Richest in U.S. History” (Cottonwood, California; cash payout $571 million) — https://www.casino.org/news/single-ticket-wins-1-269b-mega-millions-jackpot/.
  8. ABC Action News, “These are your odds of winning Powerball or Mega Millions” (Powerball jackpot odds 1 in 292.2 million) — https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/these-are-your-odds-of-winning-powerball-or-mega-millions.
  9. Fox LA (Fox Television Stations), report on the identification of the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot winner (Joe’s Service Center, Altadena; $997.6 million lump sum) — https://www.foxla.com/news/california-2-04-billion-powerball-jackpot-winner.
  10. Powerball, “$1.817 billion Powerball jackpot won in Arkansas” (Cabot; cash option $834.9 million; 46 drawings without a winner) — https://www.powerball.com/1.817-billion-powerball-jackpot-won-in-arkansas; Fox Business, “Arkansas winner claims $1.8B Powerball jackpot, chooses cash option” — https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/arkansas-winner-claims-1-8b-powerball-jackpot-chooses-cash-option.
  11. Yahoo News (USA TODAY Network), “Who won $1.8 billion Powerball in Texas? Winner chose cash, 3 others claimed a prize” — https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/won-1-8-billion-powerball-193207605.html; Yahoo News, “Powerball, Mega Millions end trifecta of billion-dollar jackpot frenzies” — https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/powerball-mega-millions-end-trifecta-214745603.html.
  12. Casino.org, “$1.765B Powerball Jackpot Winners Redeem Prize in California” (Midway Market, Frazier Park; $774.1 million cash) — https://www.casino.org/news/1-765b-powerball-jackpot-winners-redeem-prize-in-california/.
  13. Yahoo News, “It’s over: $1.6B largest Mega Millions jackpot winning ticket is sold at a Florida Publix” — https://news.yahoo.com/over-1-58b-largest-mega-091638256.html; Yahoo News, “Who won $1.6B Mega Millions jackpot?” — https://news.yahoo.com/won-1-58b-mega-millions-180709922.html (cash option $794.2 million; the $1.602 billion final figure replaced an earlier $1.58 billion estimate).
  14. Fortune (Reuters), “3 winning tickets will split the $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot” (January 14, 2016) — https://www.fortune.com/2016/01/14/3-winning-tickets-will-split-the-1-6-billion-powerball-jackpot/; Al Jazeera, “Three ticket holders win $1.6bn US lottery” — https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2016/1/14/three-ticket-holders-win-1-6bn-us-lottery.
  15. CBS News, “Single ticket wins record $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in South Carolina” — https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/mega-millions-world-record-1-6-billion-jackpot-south-carolina-winning-ticket-today-2018-10-24; FOX 5 DC, “Winning $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot ticket sold in South Carolina” — https://www.fox5dc.com/news/winning-1-537-billion-mega-millions-jackpot-ticket-sold-in-south-carolina.
  16. Public Gaming International, “Maine gets its first Mega Millions jackpot win” — https://publicgaming.com/news-categories/lottery/10650-maine-gets-its-first-mega-millions-jackpot-win; Boston.com, “Billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot winner claims prize, Lebanon, Maine” (February 22, 2023) — https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2023/02/22/billion-mega-millions-lottery-jackpot-winner-claims-prize-lebanon-maine/ (lump sum $723,564,144).
  17. Yahoo News, “1 winner in $1.3B Mega Millions jackpot, ticket sold in Illinois” — https://news.yahoo.com/1-winner-1-3b-mega-171400145.html (Speedway, Des Plaines; $780.5 million cash).
  18. KPTV (FOX 12 Oregon), “Oregon Lottery announces location that sold $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot ticket” — https://www.kptv.com/2024/04/07/oregon-lottery-announces-location-that-sold-13-billion-powerball-jackpot-ticket/; KTVZ, “Portland-area husband, wife and friend to split Oregon’s record $1.32 billion Powerball jackpot” — https://ktvz.com/news/oregon-northwest/2024/04/29/portland-area-husband-wife-and-friend-to-split-oregons-record-1-32-billion-powerball-jackpot/.
  19. Rows 11 to 15: Casino.org (Mega Millions $1.269 billion, California, December 27, 2024) — https://www.casino.org/news/single-ticket-wins-1-269b-mega-millions-jackpot/; Gambling.com, “New Jersey resident cashes in fifth-largest Mega Millions win of all-time” ($1.128 billion, ShopRite in Neptune Township, March 26, 2024; $537.5 million cash) — https://www.gambling.com/us/news/new-jersey-resident-cashes-in-fifth-largest-mega-millions-win-of-all-time; NBC (via NBC New York), report on the $1.08 billion Powerball ticket sold in downtown Los Angeles (July 19, 2023; $558.1 million cash) — https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/this-is-great-news-mexican-store-owner-shocked-over-sale-of-winning-powerball-ticket-in-downtown-la/4522590/; Boston.com, “Winning ticket for $1 billion Powerball jackpot sold in Illinois” (Hy-Vee, Quincy, August 12, 2026; $450.5 million cash) — https://www.boston.com/news/national-news/2026/08/13/winning-ticket-1-billion-powerball-jackpot-sold-illinois/.