USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Someone in Illinois Just Won $1.04 Billion in the Powerball, Their Identity Remains a Mystery

Updated 1 week ago, August 13, 2026

A single ticket bought at a gas station in Quincy, Illinois just turned somebody into a billionaire. They still haven’t come forward, and the jackpot had been rolling over since May.

Newsstand in Manhattan with LED signs showing Mega Millions $100 million and Powerball $1.6 billion jackpots, with a Juul sign below and snacks visible inside. — A Manhattan newsstand displays Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot totals — $1.6 billion and $100 million respectively — alongside a Juul advertisement on December 22, 2025, as the prize climbed to one of the largest in American lottery history. Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images.

The winning ticket for Wednesday’s $1.04 billion Powerball drawing was sold at a Hy-Vee gas station on 36th Street in Quincy, Illinois, according to state lottery officials.

The winner can take the estimated $1.040 billion annuity, paid in 30 installments over 29 years, or a $450.5 million lump-sum cash payout before taxes. Most winners take the cash. The numbers were 4-26-66-67-69 with a Powerball of 9.

Nobody had hit the jackpot since May 2, when tickets in Texas and Florida split a $20 million prize. Drawing after drawing rolled over from there, building into one of the largest jackpots Powerball has ever awarded.

There’s a good chance the public never learns who won. Illinois lets winners of $250,000 or more keep their name and city confidential by checking a box when they claim, and big-jackpot winners routinely take it. To collect, the ticket holder signs the back, brings it and ID to lottery headquarters (usually by appointment for a prize this size), and has up to one year to claim.

A New Jersey Powerball ticket held up against a lottery vending machine display in Bloomfield, N.J., on July 18, 2026. Photo by USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.

Then the tax bite. Federal withholding starts at 24%, but the real federal rate runs up to 37%, and Illinois takes its cut on top. A cash winner typically walks away with roughly half of the $450.5 million headline number.

That’s why winners usually go quiet for days or weeks first. Lawyers, financial advisors, trusts for privacy and tax planning, and a plan for the flood of calls from family, friends, and strangers all get lined up before anyone signs anything.

The night had other winners too. A player in Massachusetts won $2 million, and four more took home $1 million each on tickets sold in Arizona, California, Florida, and North Carolina.

The next drawing is Saturday, Aug. 15, and the jackpot resets to an estimated $20 million.

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