The largest lottery jackpots in US history
On Aug. 9, 2023, someone became one of the biggest lottery winners in U.S. history. Mega Millions' pot had reached over $1 billion after nearly four months without a winning ticket.
The Powerball drawn just under a month ago was also one of the biggest lottery prizes, reaching over $1 billion.
Lotteries have existed across cultures for a long time. From ancient Greece to the Han dynasty, people played the odds to realize an ambitious dream; governments looked to profit. In the United States, the popularity of the lottery came with European colonization, according to historian Jonathan D. Cohen's book "For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America." Despite Protestant misgivings, the profits lotteries generated were used to finance civil defense; the construction of churches; and even the founding of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
While lotteries helped fortify a new country, Americans eventually eschewed their use because of widespread concern over mishandling and mismanagement. In 1964, New Hampshire ran the first modern, state-run lottery. Now, only five states—Alabama, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada—don't offer lotteries. At the same time, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all have lotteries operated by the government.
States use lotteries to raise money for administrative fees and fund public services such as education or support for veterans. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, lotteries provide about 1% of state revenue annually. And what do the lucky ticket holders do with their share? Stacker compiled a list of the 15 largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history from news reports and lottery press releases.
#15. $656 million
- Date: March 30, 2012
- Game: Mega Millions
- Number of winning tickets: 3
- Winners' locations: Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
A cash windfall could promise the recipient a lifetime of luxury and leisure, but that's not always the case. Merle and Patricia Butler, who won a third of this jackpot, built a financial and legal team to help them stay solvent—but only after buying one of the most expensive houses in their county.
#14. $687.8 million
- Date: Oct. 27, 2018
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 2
- Winners' locations: Iowa, New York
Lerynne West was among the two winners to split this payday, but she nearly lost her chance. West was in the middle of moving into her new home when she heard a winning ticket sold nearby, but she initially couldn't find the ticket during the chaos of relocating. Thankfully, she tracked it down, earning a lump sum payment of over $198.1 million before taxes.
#13. $699.8 million
- Date: Oct. 4, 2021
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: California
Scott Godfrey, the sole winner of this drawing, chose to take home the lump sum payment of nearly $500 million before taxes. Two months after winning, Godfrey set up a foundation for charitable works and donated a carload of toys for a holiday drive. He has since spoken out on viral social media scams using his name to dupe people with the false hope that he'll give them money.
#12. $731.1 million
- Date: Jan. 20, 2021
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Maryland
Before selling this winning ticket at a local corner store, the tiny town of Lonaconing, Maryland, was primarily known as the hometown of Major League Baseball pitcher Lefty Grove, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947. This new influx of attention (and a $100,000 bonus to the store for selling the ticket) was an unexpected development to many in this coal-mining town of about 300 families.
#11. $754.6 million
- Date: Feb. 6, 2023
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Washington
Washington resident Becky Bell had already bought one Powerball ticket when she saw the jackpot reach nearly $750 million—$747 million, to be exact. The timing fell close to when Boeing delivered its final 747 jumbo jet, and as a supply chain analyst for the company, it inspired her to buy what would be the winning ticket.
Washington's lottery also offers bonuses to the stores that sell winning tickets. The Fred Meyer location in Auburn donated its $50,000 prize to a local food bank.
#10. $758.7 million
- Date: Aug. 23, 2017
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Massachusetts
Two things happened when Mavis Wanczyk won a $336.6 million lump sum after taxes. First, she did what many aspirational lottery winners aim to do: quit her hospital job. Unfortunately, the sudden influx of attention also led local police to set up outside her home for security.
#9. $768.4 million
- Date: March 27, 2019
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Wisconsin
Manuel Franco said his biggest financial goal was to save $1,000 in his bank account before collecting this jackpot. Franco recalled the winning ticket being stuck to another in his wallet, and he almost didn't see it. He told the press he planned to use his winnings to travel, pay for the college education of his family members, and donate to charity.
#8. $1.05 billion
- Date: Jan. 22, 2021
- Game: Mega Millions
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Michigan
Most lottery winners want to stay out of the limelight, but some states require winners to be identified. Michigan has a loophole: Registered lottery clubs can select representatives to collect the winnings. The members of the Wolverines FLL lottery club, which held this billion-dollar-winning-ticket, hired a Florida-based lawyer to represent them, keeping the members' identities private.
#7. $1.08 billion
- Date: July 19, 2023
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: California
As of July 20, 2023, this Powerball jackpot has yet to be claimed, but the owner of the Los Angeles mini-market that sold it has already been greeted with media excitement. Nabor Herrera will receive a $1 million bonus as the vendor and told CNN he plans to take his family on vacation.
The Powerball will reset at $20 million for players to try their luck again.
#6. $1.34 billion
- Date: July 29, 2022
- Game: Mega Millions
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Illinois
Two people in Illinois waited nearly two months to come forward and accept their prize, which they chose to take as a lump sum payment of $470.7 million after taxes. At least 16 states are like Illinois, allowing winners to maintain anonymity.
#5. $1.35 billion
- Date: Jan. 13, 2023
- Game: Mega Millions
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Maine
The single winner of this jackpot chose to remain anonymous, instead collecting the prize money through a limited liability company, Mega Millions reports. The store that sold the winning ticket, Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, was awarded $50,000, half of which the owner said he gifted to employees.
#4. $1.5 billion
- Date: Oct. 23, 2018
- Game: Mega Millions
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: South Carolina
A soon-to-be anonymous winner was on a scenic drive while visiting Greenville when they pulled over at a KC Mart and bought a ticket "never once thinking she had the slightest chance to win," according to a statement from her lawyer, Jason Kurland, who has represented several lottery winners. The drive earned her a lump sum cash payment of over $877 million before taxes. The winner's lawyer? He was later charged with swindling money from his lottery-winning clientele.
#3. $1.59 billion
- Date: Jan. 13, 2016
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 3
- Winners' locations: California, Florida, Tennessee
Even in states where lottery winners' names have to be made public, some winners take comprehensive steps to stay out of the glare of media attention. Marvin and Mae Acosta, who split this jackpot with two other winning tickets, not only showed up six months later with security guards to claim their winnings, the Associated Press reported that they moved out of their home listed on property records the day before coming forward. A statement by the couple said they would be donating most of the prize to a trust and charities.
#2. $1.6 billion
- Date: Aug. 8, 2023
- Game: Mega Millions
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: Florida
A Publix in Neptune Beach, Florida, sold the ticket, which when claimed will be the biggest prize in Mega Millions history. Several winners across the country won smaller $1 million and $2 million prizes, but only one person hit the jackpot. The Publix store will receive a $100,000 bonus from the Florida Lottery Commission.
The Mega Millions will be drawn again on Friday with a reset value of $20 million.
#1. $2.04 billion
- Date: Nov. 7, 2022
- Game: Powerball
- Number of winning tickets: 1
- Winner's location: California
After months of obscurity, Edwin Castro was confirmed in February 2023 as the winner of the first U.S. jackpot to crack the $2 billion mark. Although he declined to appear on stage to receive his prize, Castro—who had also benefited from California's public education system—thanked the California lottery for providing "supplemental funding for California public education."
Castro bought the ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena, just north of Los Angeles, netting him $997.6 million before taxes in a lump sum. Had he chosen to receive the money over 30 years, the jackpot would have worked out to $68 million a year before taxes.
Data reporting by Emma Rubin. Copy editing by Paris Close.
