Recent Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot have been approaching or exceeding $1 billion. Depending on final ticket sales and the possibility of a rollover, the next prize could be even bigger.
Edwin Castro of California won the largest-ever lottery jackpot on November 7 and chose a lump sum payment, receiving about $628.5 million before taxes. Check out these 10 Biggest U.S. Lottery Jackpots Ever.
1. Powerball $2.04 Billion
The results from Monday night’s Powerball drawing were pending Tuesday morning. One ticket purchased in California matched all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The winner will choose between the cash option and an annuity that pays out 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The winning numbers were 10-33-41-47-56 and the Powerball was 10. The lone winner’s name will be released by lottery officials.
2. Mega Millions Jackpot $656 Million
As of Tuesday, the Mega Millions jackpot was at $470 million and closing in on the game’s record, a $656 million pot shared by winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland on March 30, 2012. Ticket sales are surging.
If no winner is drawn Tuesday night, the prize will roll over to Friday’s drawing and potentially become a whopping $1 billion, lottery officials said.
3. Powerball Mega Millions Jackpot $758.7 Million
Massachusetts lottery officials announced Thursday that the lone winning ticket for Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot was purchased at Pride Station & Store in Chicopee. The 53-year-old winner has two adult children and will now be a multimillionaire.
The winner can choose an immediate lump sum or a gradual payout. Either way, the jackpot is estimated to be $750 million before taxes. That’s more than the GDP of small countries such as Micronesia or Palau.
4. Mega Millions $1.602 Billion
With Friday’s win, the prize has now grown to $1.269 billion, making it the fifth largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. The last time a Mega Millions jackpot grew to more than $1 billion was in August 2023 when a player in Florida won the top prize.
This year, four jackpots have been won so far, the fewest in a single Mega Millions calendar year since 2013. A New Jersey ticket won a $810 million prize on September 10 and a Texas ticket claimed the $552 million prize on June 4..
5. Mega Millions $1.22 Billion
The fifth largest Mega Millions jackpot ever was won Friday at a California gas station. The winning ticket matched numbers 3, 7, 37, 49 and 55 with a gold Mega Ball number of 6. The winner could take a lump sum payout of about $549.7 million before federal and state taxes.
Five other tickets sold in California, Arizona, Missouri and Texas matched the first five white ball numbers, winning $1 million each. The winning ticket buyer has one year to claim their prize.
6. Mega Millions $1.13 Billion
The winner of the Mega Millions jackpot from March has finally come forward, nine months after the winning numbers were drawn. The ticket was sold at a ShopRite liquor store in Neptune Township, New Jersey. The winner can remain anonymous and will receive the cash prize of $537.5 million, before taxes.
A lottery spokesperson said winners are still possible across all prize tiers, as four tickets matched the second-tier winning numbers on Christmas Eve.
7. Mega Millions $1.33 Billion
No one won the Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday, bringing the streak to 23 straight drawings without someone taking home the top prize. But there were more than 2.9 million winning tickets in the other prize tiers including 65 second-tier prizes of $1 million or more.
The next drawing is Friday night. The winner will choose between an annuity that pays out 29 annual payments or a cash payout of $537.5 million.
8. Mega Millions $1.22 Billion
This enormous jackpot is the fifth-largest prize in Mega Millions history. It was won Friday in California, and the ticket holder has a year to claim it.
The winner will have the option to take a lump sum payout or an annuity paid out over 30 years. The winning ticket was sold at Sunshine Food & Gas, also known as Circle K, in Cottonwood, Shasta County.
9. Mega Millions $1.22 Billion
It’s the fifth time a Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $1 billion. The prize rose to that level when one ticket in California matched all six numbers for Friday’s drawing.
The winner can choose to receive the prize in annual payments or a lump sum. Before taxes, the payout would be about $549.7 million. The winning ticket was purchased in Cottonwood, a small town in Shasta County.
10. Mega Millions Jackpot $1.22 Billion
A California ticket holder has a lot to celebrate this holiday season after winning the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot. The winning ticket was purchased at Sunshine Food and Gas, also known as Circle K & Fuel Up, in Cottonwood, north of Redding.
The winner will have the option to take a lump sum payout of around $549.7 million or an annuity paid out over 30 years.
