The biggest jackpot prizes in US history have been won in the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery. This is not surprising as these are indeed the biggest in the world.
Biggest jackpot in 2024
A Powerball ticket worth $1.326 billion was sold in Portland, Oregon, making it the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in the game’s history. The winner has a year to come forward and claim their prize, and per state law, players in Oregon cannot remain anonymous. Approximately a third of sales from the game will be returned to state beneficiaries to support economic development, education, veteran services, state parks, and more. Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets in 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for various public services.
Highest 3 jackpots in US ever
The biggest jackpot ever in America was recently won in late 2022 and was the absolute biggest ever with a jackpot of $2,040 million. The top prize at the Powerball was more than $2 billion had been won in the 7 November 2022 California USA draw. The one-time payout amount was $998 million cash (the actual jackpot). Taxes are still withheld from this amount (taxes on this amount can be close to 50%).
Powerball – $2.04 billion on November 7, 2022
The biggest jackpot ever, worth $2.04 billion, was won by Edwin Castro from California. This draw gripped the world, as it was the first time the jackpot crossed the $2 billion mark. The winning numbers were 12, 22, 54, 66, 69 and the Powerball was 15. Castro opted for the one-time payout, which after taxes amounted to a breathtaking sum of nearly $1.3 billion.
Mega Millions – $1.6 billion on 23 October 2018
This sensational jackpot was split between three winning tickets at the Mega MIllions, which were sold in South Carolina, Kansas and Maryland. The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and the Mega Ball was 5. The winner from South Carolina chose to remain anonymous and went for the one-time payout, which resulted in a pre-tax amount of about $877.8 million.
Mega Millions – $1.58 billion on 9 August 2023
This most recent Mega Millions jackpot was won by a person in Florida. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach. The winning numbers for this draw were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33 and the yellow Mega Ball was 14. With a jackpot of $1.58 billion, this win ranks fifth in the list of biggest lottery prizes in US history.