What would you do with $1.787 billion? Buy a sports team? Build a theme park? Pay off your neighbor’s mortgage just to brag about it at the cookout? For two lottery players — one from Missouri and one from Texas —, that question is no longer hypothetical.
The winning numbers drawn Saturday night were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and the red Powerball 17. This $1.787 billion prize now ranks as the second largest in U.S. lottery history, trailing onlu the the $2.04 billion jackpot draw in November 2022.
How We Got Here
This jackpot didn’t just show up overnight. The run started back on June 1, when a single Michigan ticket claimed $224 million. Since then, there have been 41 straight drawings without a jackpot winner, which pushed the total higher with each rollover.
In fact, August already gave us an early milestone when the prize hit $643 million. Players thought that was wild at the time, and now it looks small compared to the $1.787 billion that has been won.
Jackpot Adds Extra Fuel
The thing about a jackpot this huge is that it feels like a once in a lifetime shot. Nobody is buying a ticket because they like the odds, everyone knows those are sky high. What you are really buying is the dream. It is the kind of run that even people who never touch the lottery suddenly join in on, because nobody wants to be the one who skipped out on the second biggest prize ever.
And while the headline number steals the spotlight, there is plenty happening beneath it. Nearly 9.9 million tickets earned cash prizes in the same draw. Eighteen tickets matched all five white balls for $1 million each, and two doubled their wins to $2 million with Power Play. Hundreds of others picked up prizes between $50,000 and $100,000.
Powerball’s Biggest Jackpots Through the Years
The $1.787 billion jackpot may feel like a once-in-a-lifetime event, but, the truth is, Powerball keeps finding ways to rewrite its own history. Here is a look back at the biggest wins that have defined the game so far:
- November 2022—$2.04 billion in California
A single ticket in Altadena, California, set the all-time record. The winner, Edwin Castro, became an overnight billionaire, taking home the largest lottery prize the world has ever seen. - September 2025—$1.787 billion split between Missouri and Texas
Two players matched all six numbers to claim the second-largest prize ever. Thanks to tax differences, the Texas winner is set to walk away with a bigger payout than their Missouri counterpart. - October 2023—$1.765 billion in California
Another California ticket holder struck gold less than a year after the record-breaking 2022 win, bringing the state’s reputation as the land of giant jackpots. - January 2016—$1.586 billion shared across three states
Tickets sold in California, Florida, and Tennessee split the first lottery prize ever to cross the $1 billion mark. It was a cultural moment, with lines at convenience stores stretching out the doors. - April 2024—$1.326 billion in Oregon
A single ticket sold in Portland delivered a billion-plus prize to one lucky player, showing that even smaller lottery states can also bring headline-grabbing wins.
What Happens Next?
Now that the prize has been claimed, the jackpot resets to $20 million. The cycle of rollovers begins again, and if history is any guide, another billion-dollar run could arrive sooner than expected.
Right now, Jackpot.com is available in:
- Colorado
- Massachusetts
- Arkansas
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Arizona
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