‘Disbelief and shock’: $1.04B Powerball winner steps forward in Illinois

Nearly a month after one lucky Powerball ticket hit a $1.04 billion jackpot, the mystery winner has officially stepped forward. According to Illinois Lottery officials, the sole winner of the August 12 drawing has claimed the huge prize, which ranks as the second-largest lottery win in state history. With the lucky winner stepping forward to claim their prize, they have chosen to remain anonymous, so we’ll never truly know who won.

A small investment turns into a huge payout

One of the biggest surprises with this billion-dollar win has to be how little the player spent to make it happen. When jackpots get this high, people usually buy more and more tickets. However, the winner said they purchased just one $2 ticket using Quick Pick.

The big winner told lottery officials, "I never could have imagined that a $2 purchase would lead to a $1.04 billion jackpot." They said the victory was a "blessing" and an unexpected opportunity.

The winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, located at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy. For selling the winning ticket, the lucky retailer received a $500,000 bonus.

The winner takes time before claiming the jackpot

Rather than rushing to lottery headquarters and claiming their prize, the winner spent several weeks preparing for the huge financial change.

Lottery officials said the winner worked with professional legal and financial experts before submitting the claim. They ultimately chose the lump-sum payment instead of receiving the jackpot through the annuity option.

In Illinois, winners have 12 months from the date of the drawing to claim their winnings. However, jackpot winners only have 60 days to choose the lump-sum option. State law also allows anyone who wins at least $250,000 to request anonymity.

The winner may also have taken a while to claim their winnings because it had to sink in for them. The winner stated:

I initially didn't believe I had won, so I called a family member to confirm it. Even after claiming the prize, I'm still processing the news and experiencing the full range of emotions that come with winning a billion-dollar jackpot — from disbelief and shock to overwhelming elation.

Thousands of other Illinois winners during the Powerball run

During this billion-dollar jackpot run, there were plenty of other winners coming out of Illinois. The jackpot run started on May 4 and continued until the August 12 drawing.

During that stretch, Illinois players spent over $53.8 million on Powerball tickets. Those ticket sales helped generate $26 million for the state’s Common School Fund, which supports K-12 public education. In addition, Illinois Lottery retailers earned $2.5 million in commissions and bonuses.

While only one player walked away with the $1.04 billion, players across the state did purchase over 965,000 winning tickets during the jackpot run. They also collected almost $8 million in prizes outside of the jackpot.

For one of those players, they turned a single $2 Quick Pick ticket into the second-biggest lottery payday Illinois has ever seen.

Enjoy playing the Illinois Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.