The Winner of Illinois's $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot Comes Forward - Still Anonymous, Five Weeks Later

On the night of August 12, 2026, a single Powerball ticket sold in Quincy, Illinois matched all five numbers plus the Powerball to win a jackpot of $1.04 billion. Then came silence. No one stepped forward - not that week, not the next. It took until September 15, more than a month later, for the Illinois Lottery to announce that the winner had finally walked in to claim the prize.

The winning ticket was a $2 Quick Pick sold at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, a town on Illinois's western edge roughly two hours north of St. Louis. The numbers drawn were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, with a red Powerball of 9 and a 2X Power Play multiplier attached to the ticket.

Powerball winners choose between the full jackpot paid out in annual installments over 29 years or a reduced lump sum paid immediately. The Illinois winner chose the lump sum. One outlet reported the cash option came to roughly $450.5 million before taxes, though the Illinois Lottery's own announcement did not put a specific number on what the winner actually took home.

The winner spoke through the Illinois Lottery's announcement but did not give their name. "I initially didn't believe I had won, so I called a family member to confirm it," they said. "Even after claiming the prize, I'm still processing the news and experiencing the full range of emotions that come with winning a billion-dollar jackpot - from disbelief and shock to overwhelming elation." They added: "I never could have imagined that a $2 purchase would lead to a $1.04 billion jackpot. This is truly a blessing, and I'm incredibly grateful for this unexpected and extraordinary opportunity."

Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays called the win "an extraordinary event," and lottery officials described it as the second-largest lottery prize ever won in the state of Illinois. Amanda Crosas, the lottery's Chicago Prize Center manager, said, "It was exciting to finally see this historic prize claimed after nearly a month of anticipation."

Selling a jackpot-winning ticket comes with its own reward: the Illinois Lottery paid a $500,000 bonus to the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Quincy for having sold the winning slip.

Powerball is played across 45 US states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 69 plus a Powerball number from 1 to 26; a ticket costs $2, with an optional Power Play multiplier available for an extra dollar. Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. Must be 18 or over to play, and older in some jurisdictions.