Believe it or not: One ticket just won a staggering $1.04 billion
Dubai: A single Powerball ticket sold in Illinois has won a $1.04 billion jackpot, ending a run of 44 consecutive drawings without a grand-prize winner and delivering the game’s biggest payout of 2026 so far. The winning ticket was bought at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh store in Quincy, western Illinois, according to lottery officials. The holder matched all six numbers in the 12 August drawing: 4, 26,…
In a remarkable turn of events, a solitary Powerball ticket from Illinois emerged victorious in the latest $1.04 billion jackpot drawing, breaking a streak of 44 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner. The lucky ticket was purchased at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh location in Quincy, western Illinois, and matched all six numbers - 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, and the red Powerball 9 - during the 12 August draw.
The identity of the lucky holder remains undisclosed. The winner can select between taking the full $1.04 billion prize through an annuity paid over 29 years, or an immediate cash payout of approximately $450.5 million before taxes. This win marks the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot ever, and the second-largest lottery prize in Illinois history.
It is also the third time an Illinois ticket has claimed the Powerball jackpot, following previous wins in 2010 and 2013. The odds of hitting the winning numbers are roughly one in 292 million, leaving Wednesday's jackpot winner to reset the jackpot to $20 million for the subsequent draw.
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