How's this for a start to the new year?
A single Powerball ticket that was sold in Michigan matched all six winning numbers from Monday's drawing featuring an estimated $842.4 million jackpot, the lottery announced. It's the first time the jackpot has been won on New Year's Day since the game's start in 1992.
The winning numbers were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball 1. The power play multiplier was 3x.
The winning ticket was sold at the Food Castle of Grand Blanc in Grand Blanc, which is just south of Flint, according to the Michigan Lottery. The jackpot winner is instructed to contact the Michigan Lottery’s player relations division to claim their prize.
The owner of the winning ticket also has a decision to make: either accept an annuitized prize of $842.4 million or take a lump sum of $425.2 million (both figures are pre-tax). Should the winner elect for the full prize, they would receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by five percent each year.
The jackpot was originally an estimated $810 million, but final sales increased that figure by more than $30 million. It marks the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot ever won and the 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won. It's also Michigan's second-largest winning jackpot, only trailing a $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot from 2021.
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There hadn't been a Powerball winner since Oct. 11, 2023, when one ticket purchased in California won a whopping $1.76 billion jackpot. Monday's drawing was the 35th one since then.
Along with jackpot winner, there were also four total tickets sold across California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland that won $1 million prizes for matching all five white balls from Monday's drawing. Meanwhile, two total tickets sold across Florida and Texas won $2 million prizes for matching all five white balls and including the power play option.
There were seven tickets that won $150,000 prizes and 42 that won $50,000 prizes as well.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
