Record $587.5 million Powerball jackpot won by 2 tickets

Nov 29, 2012, 1:27 am (125 comments)

Powerball

Winning Powerball lottery tickets sold in Arizona, Missouri

Final jackpot total of $587.5 million will be split 2 ways

How would you react if you won?

By Todd Northrop

The largest Powerball lottery jackpot the world has ever seen has been won Wednesday night by two tickets sold in Arizona and Missouri.

The stage was set for the massive prize early Sunday morning, when lottery officials set the new Powerball lottery jackpot at an estimated $425 million.  Over the next few days, extremely high demand for Powerball tickets prompted officials to raise the jackpot two more times before the Wednesday drawing — and by the time all the sales were totalled at draw time, the jackpot stood at a faint-inducing $587.5 million.

The final lump-sum cash value of the jackpot was $384.7 million.

The Powerball winning numbers for Wednesday, November 28, 2012, were 5, 16, 22, 23, and 29, with Powerball number 6.

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot was the accumulation of 15 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner over a nearly two-month stretch.  The jackpot run-up started as a $40 million grand prize on Oct. 6, 2012.

The 16th drawing was the charm, and it produced two big winners who will split the jackpot.

The two winners probably got very little sleep Wednesday night, as they try to process winning the Powerball's largest lottery jackpot ever.

Are the winners running around the house screaming?  Are they calling their family?  Or maybe calling their boss to quit their job?  What are they planning to do with all that loot?

What is the first thing you would do?

Fortunately, even if you didn't win the jackpot, the Powerball game still offers another 8 ways to win lower-tier prizes.

In addition to the jackpot winners, a whopping 66 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers, but not the Powerball, for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Arizona, 1 from Colorado (with Power Play), 3 from Connecticut (1 with Power Play), 6 from Florida (2 with Power Play), 1 from Georgia, 1 from Idaho, 2 from Illinois, 2 from Indiana, 1 from Kentucky, 1 from Louisiana, 1 from Maryland (with Power Play), 4 from Massachusetts, 2 from Michigan, 1 from Minnesota, 2 from Missouri, 8 from New Jersey, 2 from New Mexico (1 with Power Play), 4 from New York, 3 from North Carolina, 2 from Ohio (1 with Power Play), 1 from Oklahoma, 3 from Pennsylvania, 3 from South Carolina (1 with Power Play), 2 from Tennessee, 4 from Texas, 4 from Virginia, and 1 from Wisconsin.

The 8 second-prize winners indicated with the Power Play option purchased their Powerball tickets with the Power Play option for an extra $1.  Because they purchased the Power Play, their ticket is now worth $2 million.

Also, 532 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 47 were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $40,000.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

After all the proceeds were counted, Wednesday's $579.9 million Powerball jackpot stood as the 2nd-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States, nearly reaching the all-time record.

  1. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  2. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
  3. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
  4. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
  5. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
  6. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
  7. Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
  8. Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
  9. Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
  10. Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
  11. The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
  12. Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
  13. Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
  14. Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
  15. Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 26, 2002 - West Virgina
  16. Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007 - Indiana
  17. Powerball: $295.7 million, Jul. 29, 1998 - Indiana
  18. Powerball: $295 million, Aug. 25, 2001 - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
  19. Mega Millions: $294 million, Jul. 2, 2004 - Massachusetts
  20. Powerball: $276.3 million, Mar. 15, 2008 - West Virgina
  21. Mega Millions: $275 million, Feb. 22, 2008 - Georgia
  22. Mega Millions: $270 million, Feb. 28, 2006 - Ohio
  23. Mega Millions: $266 million, May 4, 2010 - California
  24. Mega Millions: $265 million, Apr. 18, 2006 - Ohio
  25. Powerball: $261.6 million, Jun. 2, 2010 - Ohio

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Mega Millions: 12
  • Powerball: 11
  • The Big Game: 2

The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002.  The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.

Top 20 cash value jackpots

Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.  The Wednesday Powerball jackpot's $379.8 million cash value ranks as the 2nd-highest lump-sum cash value jackpot in history.

  1. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  2. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
  3. Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
  4. Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
  5. Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
  6. Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
  7. Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
  8. Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
  9. Mega Millions: $194.4. million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
  10. Mega Millions: $185 million cash, Nov. 15, 2005 ($315 million annuity) - California
  11. The Big Game: $180 million cash, May 9, 2000 ($363 million annuity) - Illinois, Michigan
  12. Powerball: $177.3 million cash, Feb. 18, 2006 ($365 million annuity) - Nebraska
  13. Mega Millions: $168 million cash, July 2, 2004 ($294 million annuity) - Massachusetts
  14. Mega Millions: $167.7 million cash, Feb. 22, 2008 ($275 million annuity) - Georgia
  15. Powerball: $166 million cash, Aug. 25, 2001 ($295 million annuity) - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
  16. Mega Millions: $165.2 million cash, May 4, 2010 ($266 million annuity) - California
  17. Powerball: $164.4 million cash, won Oct. 19, 2005 ($340 million annuity) - Oregon
  18. Mega Millions: $164 million cash, Feb. 28, 2006 ($270 million annuity) - Ohio
  19. Powerball: $161.5 million cash, July 29, 1998 ($295.7 million annuity) - Indiana
  20. Mega Millions: $156.1 million cash, Sept. 16, 2005 ($258 million annuity) - New Jersey

Story Updated, 6:24 pm: The jackpot has been updated in the story to reflect the final jackpot tally of $587.5 million, with a lump-sum cash value of $384.7 million.  These figures were not available until the proceeds from each state were calculated.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

mcginnin56

Ronnie316?


Don't forget me pal!  Love


whiteballz's avatarwhiteballz

so much for the billion dollar jackpot Thud

tigerfan

OMG! I won the lottery jackpot!!!!!!!!

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Wow 66 second places. Thats a record.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by tigerfan on Nov 29, 2012

OMG! I won the lottery jackpot!!!!!!!!

Congrat's tigerfan!!! Party

Will you be writing a book on your story?

I'm glad a new member won also, what a happy ending for you.  Lovies

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by tigerfan on Nov 29, 2012

OMG! I won the lottery jackpot!!!!!!!!

Congrats! Partynow go have some fun!Party

whiteballz's avatarwhiteballz

Quote: Originally posted by tigerfan on Nov 29, 2012

OMG! I won the lottery jackpot!!!!!!!!

where's the party gonna be? Missouri loves company.

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by whiteballz on Nov 29, 2012

where's the party gonna be? Missouri loves company.

Thumbs UpI Agree!   Green laugh

lowerAL251's avatarlowerAL251

Congratz to the two big winners  Party.....I only got two numbersCrying

Frank12449

Well, odds wise for the top prize, it played out as it should, as a massive 66 tickets got 2nd prize for 1 million. To have 2 winning tickets, that's 68 total that had all 5 white balls, with 35 : 1 odds of also matching the powerball. 35 x 2 = 70

LotteryInOK

Seriously? Congratulations!!!

LotteryInOK

Who is the other member who won the jackpot and for how much?

Toronto

What happens if too many people win the lower prizes? There were only ~$530 million in sales (then only half to 2/3 of that is for prizes). While there was $511 million in prizes. Do they reduce the cash payout on the top prize?

balyanango

Quote: Originally posted by whiteballz on Nov 29, 2012

so much for the billion dollar jackpot Thud

So a fellow Arizonan has split this Jackpot i.e. walking away with about $290 million. That is certainly much bigger than the Mega split in March in which each of the three winning contestants pocketed $218 million. Congrats!!! On Saturday, another Arizonan was one of the luckiest of the lucky lucky few to have won the second place of $ 1 million. Certainly this is the biggest prize Arizona has won in the Powerball which is almost three times as big as its last largest Powerball win of 17 years ago that stood at $102 million. Though I did not win, I can console myself that on October 13, I managed to clinch $4 at least on this recently concluded historical Powerball lotto bandwagon. even today, I almost won, i.e. clinching two numbers i.e. 5 and 23, just as I almost did at the Mega during that historical March Jackpot i.e. 2 and 23, suggesting that my game is not totally off-base when it comes to clinching something in the two lotto games. Maybe Lady Luck will someday show me more mercy as we re-adjust to the normal $40 million minimum Powerball lotto Jackpot, come Saturday. Meanwhile the billion dollar Jackpot can wait for another in both the Mega and Powerball lotto games!!!

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