Powerball jackpots have been reaching stratospheric levels, with four of the ten largest Powerball prizes being distributed in the last three years.
What are the biggest Powerball jackpots ever?
The Powerball lottery is once again above the billion-dollar mark. Winning the big money prize is not easy, with the odds being 1 in 292.2 million. Adding another weekly draw in 2016 has led to jackpots soaring to astronomical heights.
#Powerball was not hit tonight.
— Lottify (@LottifyApp) December 11, 2025
Jackpot for Saturday, Dec. 13 has increased to $1 Billion! 💰🤩💰
Good Luck!
#lottery #lotto #loteria #jackpot pic.twitter.com/Pr4gD3MhgG
A single ticketholder in California claimed the biggest jackpot ever in November 2022. Edwin Castro claimed the $2.04 billion jackpot three months later on Valentine’s Day. Since he took the lump-sum payment, it was less than half the amount but still a mind-blowing $997.6 million.
That sum would have been reduced further after Uncle Sam took his cut, but as he won the prize in California, no additional taxes were levied against his winnings.
Powerball winner has bought a new $73 million LA mansion after his $2 billion win, per NYP.
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) October 1, 2023
He has bought two other mansions in California in just one month — a $25.5 million estate in Hollywood Hills, & a $4 million mansion with views of the San Gabriel Mountains. pic.twitter.com/iOR4mF2wRf
What are the biggest Powerball jackpots ever?
There have been six Powerball jackpots to climb above one billion dollars, the last of which was claimed on Sep. 6, 2025 for a jackpot amount of 1.78 billion. Six of the top ten jackpots have been in the last two years. Only two of those so far have been claimed by more than one winner. When there are multiple winning tickets, the jackpot is split evenly among each one. Here’s a look at the ten biggest Powerball jackpots:
- $2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.78 Billion - Sep 6, 2025
- $1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA
- $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.32 Billion – April 3, 2024
- $1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA
Largest lottery jackpots in US history
Not to be outdone, Mega Millions changed its rules a couple of years after Powerball. They had a similar effect of swelling the jackpots on offer. Currently, the two lotteries are tied for the top ten largest jackpots in US history.
- $1.6 billion: Mega Millions – 8 Aug. 2023 – FLT
- $1.78 billion: Powerball - 6 Sep. 2025 - MO, TX
- $1.76 billion: Powerball – 13 Jan. 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.6 billion: Mega Millions – 8 Aug. 2023 – FL
- $1.58 billion: Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016 - CA, FL, TN
- $1.537 billion: Mega Millions – 23 Oct. 2018 - SC
- $1.4 billion (est.): Powerball – 7 Oct. 2023
- $1.35 billion: Mega Millions – 13 Jan. 2023 - ME
- $1.337 billion: Mega Millions – 29 Jul. 2022 - IL
- $1.08 billion: Powerball – 19 Jul. 2023 – CA
- $1.05 billion: Mega Millions – 22 Jan. 2021 - MI
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All but one of the biggest jackpots in US history have amassed a ten-digit theoretical payout. However, most players chose to take the lump-sum payment instead of the annuity option, which cuts the actual amount by more than half.
Lottery windfalls are further reduced by an instant cut going to the tax man, followed by income taxes later on from the federal government. Also, of the 45 states where multi-state lotteries can be played, only eight of them don’t collect state lottery taxes.
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