(VIDEO) Illinois Player Wins Record $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot, Eighth-Largest In History
CHICAGO — A single Powerball ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers in Wednesday night's drawing to win a $1.04 billion jackpot, ending a months-long run without a winner and claiming the eighth-largest prize in the game's history.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh store located at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, Illinois, according to the Illinois Lottery. The winning numbers for the August 12 drawing were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, with a Powerball number of 9 and a Power Play multiplier of 2. The identity of the winner had not been publicly announced as of Thursday morning.
The jackpot marks the largest Powerball prize won so far in 2026 and the second-largest lottery prize ever won in the state of Illinois. Wednesday's drawing was the 44th consecutive drawing since the jackpot was last won, on May 2, a run that had steadily pushed the prize higher week after week as ticket sales climbed.
The winner faces a significant decision on how to collect the prize. The jackpot can be claimed as an annuitized payment of $1.04 billion, distributed across 30 graduated payments over 29 years, with each annual payment increasing by 5%, or as a lump-sum cash option of $450.5 million. Both........
