A Powerball ticket buyer from Illinois won the $1.04 billion jackpot on Wednesday night—the biggest lottery prize of 2026 so far—although they are set to take home a much smaller amount after taxes and deductions.
A billboard displays the estimated Powerball jackpot, in Philadelphia.
The six winning numbers drawn on Wednesday night were 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Red Powerball 9.
After the winner comes forward, they will have to choose between receiving the $1.04 billion payout spread across 30 annual installments or a one-time cash prize of $450.5 million—the preferred pick for most winners.
If they choose the lump-sum payment, the winnings will first drop to around $342.4 million after a mandatory 24% federal withholding.
