Powerball Winner: Illinois Ticket Claims the $1.04 Billion Jackpot
The lucky Powerball winner is an Illinois lottery player, winning the massive $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot while ending a 44-draw stretch without a jackpot winner.
The winning ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Wednesday night: 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9. The ticket were sold at a Hy-Vee Gas Fresh & Fast store in Quincy, Illinois, according to reports.
The prize is the largest Powerball jackpot of 2026 so far and ranks top among the biggest jackpots in the lottery’s history. The winner has options to choose between receiving the advertised jackpot through an annuity or taking a lump-sum cash option estimated at $450.5 million before taxes. Meanwhile, the identity of the winning ticket holder has not yet been announced.
This draw also produced several secondary prizes. A player in Massachusetts won $2 million after matching all five white balls while using the Power Play option, while $1 million Match 5 tickets were sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina.
The Illinois win brings an end to one of the year’s longest Powerball jackpot droughts and immediately puts the player among the lottery’s newest multimillionaires.
