8 Largest Powerball Jackpots Won


The appeal of the lottery is undeniable–countless people purchase various game tickets in hopes that they’ll strike it rich and be able to live free from financial worries for the rest of their days. The odds of winning games like the Powerball Jackpot are nearly impossible to beat, but that doesn’t stop hopeful people from playing. Every once in a while, after all, someone actually does hit the jackpot!

Just how much can you win from the Powerball Jackpot? Today we’ll be taking a look at 8 of the largest Powerball Jackpots won in the world, and learning a few facts about each win.

  1. $448.40 million

Cash Value: $258.20 million
Number of Tickets: 3
Date Won: Aug. 7, 2013
Location: MN, NJ (2 tickets)

$448.40 million
Source: flickr.com

While the winners of these three Jackpot tickets have not come forward to reveal their identities, it is known that one winning ticket was purchased in Minnesota. The other two winning tickets were purchased at a Super Stop & Shop and an Acme Markets in New Jersey.

Did You Know?

The Powerball had experienced a losing streak of over six weeks prior to these three lucky tickets, which accounts for the Jackpot value getting so high.

  1. $456.70 million

Cash Value: $269.40 million
Number of Tickets: 1
Date Won: Mar. 17, 2018
Location: PA

$456.70 million
Source: flickr.com

The location where this winning Powerball ticket was sold was never disclosed, but we do know that three other tickets that matched the five numbers in the drawing were sold in Texas, Missouri, and California. The ticket sold in Texas earned a prize of $2 million because it included a Power Play option.

Did You Know?

At the time of its big win, this Powerball Jackpot was the eighth largest in Powerball game history.

  1. $564.10 million

Cash Value: $381.10 million
Number of Tickets: 3
Date Won: Feb. 11, 2015
Location: NC, PR, TX

$564.10 million
Source: flickr.com

Powerball is available to play in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In February of 2015, Puerto Rico made a name for itself when one of its residents won the first Powerball Jackpot outside the continental United States.

Did You Know?

Marie Holmes, the North Carolina ticket winner, enjoyed the largest lottery win in her state’s history. She expressed gladness over being equipped to better care for her three children, one of whom suffers from cerebral palsy.

  1. $587.50 million

Cash Value: $384.70 million
Number of Tickets: 2
Date Won: Nov. 28, 2012
Location: AZ, MO

$587.50 million
Source: flickr.com

The Arizona winners of this Jackpot, a married couple, were thrilled with their winnings, though the husband stated that he liked his job too much to quit after the victory. The winners from Missouri, Mark and Cindy Hill, were thrilled when Cindy realized she had the lucky ticket. When she told their son that she’d won the lottery, he believed she was pulling a prank.

Did You Know?

A massive number of tickets for this particular Powerball sold, and there was so much online traffic when the numbers were drawn that the Powerball site simply displayed an error message.

  1. $590.50 million

Cash Value: $370.90 million
Number of Tickets: 1
Date Won: May 18, 2013
Location: FL

$590.50 million
Source: flickr.com

This exciting Powerball Jackpot was won by Gloria MacKenzie, alongside the new record for largest sole lottery jackpot winner in history. After her big win, Gloria said that while the state required that her name be disclosed as the winner, she hoped for people to respect the privacy of herself and her family.

Did You Know?

Gloria MacKenzie’s neighbors spoke highly of her, saying that she was always friendly and pleasant. One of them joked that he hoped she’d be finding a nicer place to live.

  1. $687.80 million

Cash Value: $687.80 million
Number of Tickets: 2
Date Won: Oct. 27, 2018
Location: IA, NY

$687.80 million
Source: flickr.com

This amazing prize went to two winners, one of which set a new record for the largest lottery victory to be won in New York. Even after the startlingly high taxes were charged on the winnings in Iowa and New York, both winners walked away with a pretty penny.

Did You Know?

Neither of the home states of this Powerball Jackpot’s winners permit anonymous collection of the prizes. People who cannot claim their prizes anonymously often struggle to maintain their privacy after the victory.

  1. $758.70 million

Cash Value: $480.50 million
Number of Tickets: 1
Date Won: Aug. 23, 2017
Location: MA

$758.70 million
Source: flickr.com

Sold at a Pride convenience store in Chicopee, this winning ticket beat the odds of 292.2 million to 1. The solitary winner, Mavis Wanczyk, had been working a demanding job at Mercy Medical Center for 32 years before she hit the jackpot and was able to call it quits.

Did You Know?

Despite her elation after her big win, Mavis Wanczyk realized that anonymity was a thing of the past, and said that all she wanted to do was hide in her bed!

  1. $1,586.50 million

Cash Value: $983.50 million
Number of Tickets: 3
Date Won: Jan. 13, 2016
Location: CA, FL, TN

$1,586.50 million
Source: flickr.com

The $1,586.50 Powerball Jackpot of 2016 is the largest Powerball Jackpot in the world. Winning tickets for this jackpot were sold at a 7-Eleven in California, a Naifeh’s Food Mart in Tennessee, and a Publix grocery in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

Did You Know?

Balbir Atwal, the owner of the 7-Eleven that sold one of the winning tickets, was awarded a $1 million bonus for making the lucky sale. At the time, he had owned the store for 24 years.


Leave a Comment