One lucky Powerball player became $758.7 million richer in Aug. 2017, scoring more than any single winner in lottery history. Their drawing is the second-largest, after a more than $1 billion drawing split between three people.
Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot is expected to reach $361 million, and Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is estimated at $440 million, but how do they compare to the largest jackpots in history? Here’s a look at the current 10 largest lottery jackpots and some of the lucky people who won big. Won Aug. 7,2013. Winning tickets sold in New Jersey (2) and Minnesota. Paul White of Ham Lake, Minn. said he had often imagined winning many times before he won. The Ocean’s 16 group were all employees of Ocean County, New Jersey and many said they intended to stay at their jobs for the near future. Mario Scarnici from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey did not share his plans for his winnings. Won July 30,2016. The anonymous winner in New Hampshire made an initial donation of $100,000 with their winnings, according to Powerball Won July 29,2016. A family in Indiana was in disbelief when they realized they’d won such a big prize.”They actually closed their Internet browser and tried it again, even restarted their computer,” reads a press release . “They couldn’t believe their eyes.”Winning tickets were sold for this jackpot in Texas, North Carolina and Puerto Rico on Feb. 11,2015. Won Nov. 28,2012. Winning tickets sold in Missouri and Arizona. Cindy and Mark Hill of Dearborn, Mo. said they planned on paying for the college educations for their four granddaughters and their four nieces and nephews. The following year, an email phishing scam reportedly used the Hills’ name and the promise of a share of their fortune to acquire bank account numbers. Won by Gloria MacKenzie on May 18,2013. Winning ticket sold in Florida. Won Dec. 17,2013. Winning tickets sold in Georgia and California. Ira Curry of Stone Mountain, Ga. said her winning numbers were a combination of family birthdays and the family’s lucky number — 7. San Jose, Calif. resident Steve Tran had purchased multiple tickets at multiple stores on his route as a delivery driver and realized he had been to the winning store in the middle of the night. Won March 30,2012. Winning tickets sold in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas. Merle and Patricia Butler of Red Bud, Ill. kept their win a secret for nearly three weeks before coming forward to claim their prize. The couple, married for 41 years at the time of their win, said they planned to buy a new car and attend a few St. Louis Cardinals games. Last year, someone claiming to be Merle Butler on Instagram said he was giving away his winnings, but Butler told TMZ he didn’t even have an Instagram account. The Maryland winners referred to themselves as “The Three Amigos.” All worked in Maryland’s public education system and pooled their money to buy 60 tickets. They joked that they planned to celebrate their win by getting matching tattoos of the winning numbers. Won August 23,2017. The largest jackpot for a single winner. The lucky ticket was sold in Chicopee, Massachusetts to Mavis Wanczyk. Won Jan. 13,2016. Winning tickets were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee, making the annuitized amount for each winning ticket nearly $528.8 million. The Robinson family of Munford, Tenn., showed up with their dog to claim their winnings. The Florida winner, who claimed her prize with a trust, told Powerball that she had been playing the same number for years before it finally paid off. The California winners said they did not wish to become public figures and had designated most of the money for a trust to benefit charity.”We are thankful and blessed for the rare gift that has been placed in our care. We have engaged a team of advisors to educate and guide us through this process so that we can be good stewards of these new resources,” their statement reads.
