In November 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, became the largest lottery winner in US history for his record $2.04 billion Powerball win.
California Lottery announces winner of $1.269 billion lottery
On Monday, the California Lottery announced the winning ticket was purchased by Rosemary Casarotti at a Circle K in Cottonwood, California.
- 2 billion-dollar lottery jackpots for Mega Millions and Powerball were purchased at a Florida Publix. The amount? $1.58 billion and $1.586 billion.
- In Florida, stores that sell winning Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots are eligible for a bonus commission. It varies state by state.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots have reached $1 billion 13 times in history: Will the next Powerball drawing result in the latest billion-dollar lottery winner?
As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
The Powerball drawing on Aug. 30 marked the first time in 2025 a lottery crossed the billion-dollar mark. Compared to previous years, it’s an interesting phenomenon: 2023 saw four billion-dollar lottery jackpots, and there were three billion-dollar totals in 2024.
As of Thursday, Sept. 4, the Powerball jackpot in its current lottery streak was at $1.70 billion for Saturday, Sept. 6. Ticket sales ahead of the drawing may push it to $2 billion or more. The current record for biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history is $2.04 billion Powerball won by Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, in November 2022.
The last billion-dollar lottery jackpot occurred during the 2024 holiday season: After three months of Mega Millions rollovers − from Sept. 13, 2024, a Friday the 13th, to Dec. 24, 2024, or Christmas Eve − the grand prize grew from $20 million to a whopping $970 million. A Christmas Eve rollover led to the $1.22 billion Mega Millions drawing for Dec. 27, 2024. A woman from a small town in California collected the grand prize, according to California Lottery officials.
Who won the largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history? Where were the winning billion-dollar lottery tickets sold? Below is a compilation of all 13 billion-dollar Powerball and Mega Millions lottery jackpots, who won, who sold the billion-dollar tickets and photos of the lottery retailers and billion-dollar winners.
Photos of Powerball, Mega Millions billion-dollar lottery winners and who sold winning tickets
When did lotto jackpots hit $1 billion or more for Mega Millions and Powerball? What are the biggest lottery jackpots in US history?
As of Sept. 4, 2025, there have been 13 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
- $2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
- $1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
- $1.70 billion Powerball prize, Sept. 6, 2025, TBD
- $1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
- $1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
- $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
- $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
- $1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan of Portland, Oregon, and Laiza Chao of Milwaukie, Oregon
- $1.269 billion Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, Rosemary Casarotti of Cottonwood, California
- $1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
- $1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
- $1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
