A lucky lottery player in Illinois has matched all six numbers to win Wednesday night’s $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot, ending a 44-drawing drought that stretched back to early May.
The winning numbers drawn were 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, and the red Powerball 9. The single jackpot-winning ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh gas station in Quincy, Illinois.
The historic prize marks the largest U.S. lottery jackpot won so far this year and ranks as the eighth-largest in Powerball history.
The winner now faces a choice between taking the full $1.04 billion grand prize delivered in 30 graduated payments over 29 years or taking an immediate lump-sum cash payout estimated at $450.5 million, both before taxes. Under Illinois state law, winners of prizes over $250,000 have the option to remain anonymous, meaning the lucky ticket holder’s identity may never be publicly revealed.
