A single Powerball ticket sold in Illinois has won the massive $1.04 billion jackpot from Wednesday night’s drawing, ending a 44 drawing streak without a grand prize winner. The August 12, 2026, drawing produced the largest U.S. lottery jackpot of 2026 so far and the eighth largest jackpot in Powerball history.
The winning ticket matched all six numbers: 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and the red Powerball 9. The ticket was sold at a Hyvee gas station in Quincy, Illinois, although lottery officials had not identified the winner when the prize was announced.
Illinois Ticket Claims Historic $1.04 Billion Prize
The $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot represents the largest lottery prize awarded in the United States so far in 2026. The winning ticket also ranks eighth among the biggest Powerball jackpots in the game’s history, highlighting the extraordinary scale of the Illinois lottery win.
The jackpot had climbed rapidly after multiple drawings failed to produce a winner. Before Wednesday’s drawing, Powerball officials increased the estimated prize to $1 billion, with a projected cash value of $433.1 million. Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot to $1.04 billion and increased the lump-sum value to $450.5 million.
The winning numbers were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, while 9 appeared as the red Powerball. The drawing also featured a 2X Power Play multiplier, while millions of other tickets won smaller prizes across the United States.
Winner Can Choose $450.5 Million Cash
The Illinois winner now faces a major financial decision: accept the advertised $1.04 billion annuity or take the $450.5 million lump-sum cash option. Both amounts represent pre tax figures, meaning the winner’s eventual take-home amount will depend on applicable federal and state taxes.
Under the annuity option, Powerball says the winner would receive 30 graduated payments spread across 29 years. The alternative provides $450.5 million upfront, giving the winner immediate control of a substantial fortune instead of receiving scheduled payments over decades.
Lottery winners historically often choose the cash option, but the decision involves major financial, tax and investment considerations. The winner has not yet publicly come forward, leaving open questions about who purchased the life changing ticket and whether they will choose the immediate cash prize or long-term annuity.
Powerball Jackpot Resets After Billion-Dollar Win
Wednesday’s drawing ended a lengthy jackpot drought. The previous Powerball jackpot winner claimed the top prize on May 2, meaning players went through 44 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner before the Illinois ticket finally matched all six numbers.
The drawing also produced several major secondary prizes. Four tickets sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina matched all five white balls for $1 million prizes, while a Massachusetts ticket matched the five white balls and used Power Play to win $2 million. More than 3 million tickets won smaller prizes in the drawing.
Following the billion-dollar win, the Powerball jackpot resets to an estimated $20 million for the next drawing on Saturday, August 15, with an estimated cash value of $8.7 million. The latest result also reinforces the enormous odds involved: a standard Powerball play has jackpot odds of roughly 1 in 292.2 million.