The Powerball jackpot has surged to an estimated $950 million, the sixth-largest prize in the game’s history, after no ticket matched all six numbers in Wednesday’s drawing.
The winning numbers for Wednesday’s drawing were 9, 12, 22, 41, 61, and the red Powerball 25.
The massive prize, which carries a cash value of $428.9 million before taxes, follows a months-long streak with no jackpot winner since a California player claimed $204.5 million on May 31. Saturday’s jackpot winner, if there is one, can choose between the $950 million annuitized prize, paid out over 30 years with annual increases of 5%, or a lump sum of $428.9 million.
“America has signaled loud and clear – it’s ready to play for a massive Powerball jackpot,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, in a press release.
He noted earlier this week that ticket sales had doubled as players chase the growing prize, with more than half of the proceeds supporting local causes in the 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Powerball is sold.
Wednesday’s drawing produced six tickets that won $1 million or more by matching all five white balls, adding to the 56 million-dollar prizes and 558 tickets worth $50,000 or more claimed during this jackpot run. The current prize trail is historic jackpots, such as the record $2.04 billion in California in November 2022 and the $1.765 billion claimed in California in October 2023.
Powerball tickets, priced at $2 per play, have generated over $36 billion for community programs since the game’s 1992 debut. With the jackpot nearing $1 billion, anticipation is building for Saturday’s drawing.