Rolling in green in the Garden State.
A Powerball player in New Jersey won the $847 million jackpot Wednesday night, ending a two-month drought.
The winning numbers were 15, 34, 41, 53, 56 and the red Powerball 21.
The unidentified ticket holder can choose between the estimated $847 million jackpot or a one-time cash sum of $363.1 million.
Despite the luxury of choosing which option, the winner will have to forfeit a large portion of the winnings to taxes.
The winner must fork over 24% to federal taxes and another 8% to New Jersey since the winnings exceed $500,000, according to the state lottery.
It is the 12th time New Jersey has produced a Powerball jackpot winner and the first since an anonymous player claimed the $222.6 million prize on June 10, 2024.
The winner of Wednesday’s jackpot was not immediately known and Garden State residents are allowed to remain anonymous indefinitely, according to state law.
It is the 9th largest Powerball prize in game history, beating out the historic $842 million prize won on New Year’s Day 2024 and later claimed by “The Breakfast Club” in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Wednesday night’s drawing is the first time the Powerball jackpot was won since an Illinois player struck gold on Aug. 12, when a ticket holder cashed in on the $1.04 billion prize.
The multi-millionaire, who chose to remain anonymous, selected the one-time lump sum of $450.5 million.
The lucky Illinois winner only spent $2, purchasing one Quick Pick ticket at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh convenience store in Quincy, Ill.
Wednesday’s jackpot hit marks the ninth time Powerball’s largest prize was won in 2026.
August’s billion-dollar win remains the largest of the year and the eighth-largest all time.
The odds of hitting the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338.
Read the full article here
