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An Arkansas lottery player stepped forward and claimed the historic $1.82 billion Powerball ticket — the second-largest jackpot in game history — but their identity will temporarily remain a mystery.
The lucky winner chose to remain anonymous as they picked the one-time cash payment of $834.9 million before taxes, the Arkansas Lottery announced Thursday.
The winning numbers were 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the Powerball 19.
If the unidentified winner chose the $1.82 billion, they would’ve received their entire winnings in 30 payments over 29 years.
Jackpot winners of $500,000 or more may choose to keep their identity private for three years after claiming the prize under Arkansas state law.
“Everyone was anxiously waiting for the winner to step forward, but we are happy they took the time to seek legal counsel and financial advice first, as we recommended. We are thrilled that the winner is from Arkansas,” state lottery Executive Director Sharon Strong said.
The life-changing prize was the second-largest jackpot to be handed out — only to California’s Edwin Castro’s $2.04 billion in November 2022.
It was also the longest-running drought of a Powerball jackpot, going 47 consecutive winless drawings.
The mysterious player purchased their ticket at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, Arkansas; located roughly 25 miles northeast of the state capital, Little Rock.
The store received a $50,000 commission for selling the massive jackpot winner.
“We’re proud to celebrate this moment, not only for out Arkansas winner and for Murphy USA, the Arkansas-based company that sold the winning ticket, but also for the positive impact this historic jackpot will have on our state and our mission to raise funds for in-state scholarships,” Strong added.
It was the second time a Powerball jackpot was won in Arkansas, after a player claimed the $25 million prize from the drawing on Jan. 2, 2010.
One unfortunate lottery player of the $1.82 billion drawing missed the large payout by one number, settling for a modest $100,000 payout.
Jeffrey Dimond, of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, chose the Easy Pick option at a Wawa outside Fredericksburg and matched five of the six numbers, including the Powerball, doubling his prize from the usual $50,000 payout when matching four numbers and the Powerball.
After the Christmas Eve win, the Powerball jackpot reset to $20 million and had grown to $209 million before Wednesday night’s drawing.
A player in North Carolina matched all six numbers in the latest drawing, winning the multi-million dollar prize.
The winning numbers 11–26-27-53-55 and the Powerball 12, were sold at the West 10th Mart in Roanoke Rapids, eight miles south from the Virginia-North Carolina border.
The unidentified winner has 180 days to claim their winnings and choose from the $209.3 million paid out over 29 years or the one-time payment of $95.3 million.
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