Biggest Lottery Winners - All-Time Records
Every billion-dollar jackpot ever won - Powerball, Mega Millions, EuroMillions, SuperEnalotto, and more. Prize amounts, draw dates, and payout details. Updated through 2026.
US Lottery Records
All Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots over $500 million, sorted by prize size. Sources: powerball.com, megamillions.com.
| # | Jackpot | Lottery | Date | State | Winner | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.04 Billion | Powerball | November 7, 2022 | California | Edwin Castro | Lump Sum ($997.6M after taxes) |
| 2 | $1.817 Billion | Powerball | December 24, 2025 | Arkansas | Anonymous Winner | Lump Sum ($834.9M before taxes) |
| 3 | $1.787 Billion | Powerball | September 6, 2025 | Missouri & Texas | Two Anonymous Winners | Split - $410.3M each (lump sum, before taxes) |
| 4 | $1.602 Billion | Mega Millions | August 8, 2023 | Florida | Anonymous Winner | Lump Sum |
| 5 | $1.586 Billion | Powerball | January 13, 2016 | Tennessee, California, Florida | John Robinson, Lisa Robinson, Maureen Smith | Split Prize (~$528.8M each before taxes) |
| 6 | $1.537 Billion | Mega Millions | October 23, 2018 | South Carolina | Anonymous Winner | Lump Sum |
| 7 | $1.337 Billion | Mega Millions | July 29, 2022 | Illinois | Anonymous Winner | Lump Sum |
| 8 | $1.269 Billion | Mega Millions | December 27, 2024 | California | Rosemary Casarotti | Lump Sum ($571M before taxes) |
| 9 | $1.05 Billion | Mega Millions | January 22, 2021 | Michigan | Anonymous Winner | Lump Sum |
| 10 | $983 Million | Mega Millions | November 14, 2025 | Georgia | Anonymous Winner | Cash option $453.6M before taxes |
| 11 | $810 Million | Mega Millions | September 10, 2024 | Texas | Sol Living Trust | Lump Sum ($409.3M before taxes) |
| 12 | $768.4 Million | Powerball | March 27, 2019 | Wisconsin | Manuel Franco | Lump Sum ($477M before taxes) |
| 13 | $758.7 Million | Powerball | August 23, 2017 | Massachusetts | Mavis Wanczyk | Lump Sum ($336.4M after taxes) |
| 14 | $731.1 Million | Powerball | January 20, 2021 | Maryland | Anonymous Winner | Lump Sum |
| 15 | $590.5 Million | Powerball | May 18, 2013 | Florida | Gloria MacKenzie | Lump Sum ($278M after taxes) |
All jackpot amounts are the advertised annuity value. Cash (lump sum) options are approximately 60% of the advertised amount before taxes. US federal withholding: 24%. State tax: 0–13.3%.
Top 5 US Jackpots - Full Details
The largest lottery jackpot in world history. Castro, from Altadena, California, was the sole winner. He chose the lump sum cash option of approximately $997.6 million after federal and state taxes.
A single ticket sold at a Murphy gas station near a Walmart in Cabot, Arkansas won the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever on Christmas Eve 2025. The winner has not been publicly identified. Lump sum cash option: $834.9 million before taxes.
Two winning tickets split this massive Powerball jackpot - one sold at a QuikTrip in St. Louis, Missouri, and one at Big 103's gas station in Fredericksburg, Texas. Each winner chose the lump sum of $410.3 million before taxes. Both remained anonymous.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won. A single ticket sold in Florida matched all six numbers. The winner chose to remain anonymous and took the lump sum payment.
Three winning tickets shared this historic Powerball jackpot - the first to exceed $1 billion. Each winner received approximately $528.8 million before taxes. The Robinsons from Tennessee and Maureen Smith from California went public; the Florida winner remained anonymous.
International Lottery Records
The largest jackpots ever won outside the US. Most international lotteries pay lump sum only and are tax-free in the country of origin.
| # | Jackpot | Lottery | Date | Country | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €371.1 Million | SuperEnalotto | February 16, 2023 | 🇮🇹 Italy | Anonymous Winner |
| 2 | €250 Million | EuroMillions | March 28, 2025 | 🇦🇹 Austria | Anonymous Winner |
| 3 | €250 Million | EuroMillions | June 17, 2025 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | Anonymous Winner |
| 4 | €220 Million | EuroMillions | October 15, 2021 | 🇫🇷 France | Anonymous Winner |
| 5 | €209 Million | SuperEnalotto | August 13, 2010 | 🇮🇹 Italy | Anonymous Winner |
| 6 | A$200 Million | Australia Powerball | February 1, 2024 | 🇦🇺 Australia | Two Anonymous Winners |
| 7 | £161 Million | EuroMillions | July 12, 2011 | 🏴 Scotland | Colin and Chris Weir |
| 8 | £148.6 Million | EuroMillions | August 10, 2012 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Adrian and Gillian Bayford |
| 9 | £114.9 Million | EuroMillions | January 1, 2019 | 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland | Frances and Patrick Connolly |
| 10 | £107.9 Million | EuroMillions | March 14, 2014 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Neil Trotter |
| 11 | C$80 Million | Lotto Max | September 2024 onwards | 🇨🇦 Canada | Anonymous Winner |
The largest lottery jackpot ever won in Europe. The winning ticket was made up of 90 shares sold throughout Italy. The winner(s) chose to remain anonymous. Tax-free in Italy (20% withheld on prizes over €500).
The EuroMillions jackpot cap of €250 million was reached and won by a single ticket in Austria. This is the maximum EuroMillions jackpot - when reached, the prize rolls down to lower tiers. Tax-free in Austria.
The EuroMillions jackpot cap of €250 million was won by a single ticket in Ireland. Tax-free in Ireland.
A French winner claimed this €220 million EuroMillions jackpot - the largest EuroMillions prize won before the cap was raised to €250M in 2022. The winner remained anonymous. Tax-free in France.
The second-largest SuperEnalotto jackpot ever won. The winner chose to remain anonymous.
The largest Australia Powerball jackpot ever won, shared by two ticket holders. Both winners chose to remain anonymous. Tax-free in Australia.
What Every Major Winner Faces
Lump Sum vs Annuity (US only)
Only Powerball and Mega Millions offer this choice. Most international lotteries pay lump sum only.
- · Lump sum: ~60% of advertised jackpot, paid immediately, full tax bill in year one
- · Annuity: Full advertised amount over 29 years (30 payments), increasing 5% annually
- · Most winners choose lump sum - all 5 of the top US jackpots above were taken as lump sum
US Tax on Lottery Winnings
Federal withholding is 24% on prizes over $5,000. Top federal bracket (37%) applies to large prizes.
- · Federal: 24% withheld immediately; up to 37% owed at filing
- · State: 0% (TX, FL, WA) to 13.3% (CA)
- · Example: $2.04B jackpot → ~$997.6M lump sum after taxes (Edwin Castro)
- · International: UK, Canada, Australia, most of Europe - 0% tax on winnings
Anonymity Rules
Most of the largest winners above chose to remain anonymous. Rules vary by state.
- · Anonymous allowed: TX, FL, MD, KS, DE, ND, OH, SC, AZ, and others
- · Trust/LLC required: Some states allow anonymity only through a legal entity
- · Public required: CA, NY, NJ, and others require winner disclosure
- · International: UK, Canada, Australia - winners can choose anonymity
Before You Claim
Every major winner on this page had to make these decisions before claiming.
- · Sign the ticket immediately - unsigned tickets are bearer instruments
- · Secure the ticket in a bank safe deposit box
- · Hire a tax attorney and estate planning attorney before claiming
- · Decide on lump sum vs annuity (US only) - this decision is irreversible
- · Check your state's anonymity rules before going public
Learn More About These Jackpots
Related Resources
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What to do before claiming a large prize - legal team, anonymity, lump sum vs annuity
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GuideLaws by Country
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