A Powerball player in Illinois is holding one of the most valuable lottery tickets in the country after matching all six numbers to win a $1.04 billion jackpot.
*Photo is not an actual photo of the lottery ticket.
The winning ticket was sold at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, Illinois, according to the official Powerball announcement. The ticket matched the five white balls and the red Powerball in Wednesday night’s, August 12, drawing.
The winning numbers were:
4 – 26 – 66 – 67 – 69
Powerball: 9
The $1.04 billion prize is the largest Powerball jackpot of 2026 so far and the eighth-largest jackpot in Powerball history. It also ranks as the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois.
Who Won the $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot?
As of August 13, the winner’s identity has not been revealed — and Illinois law could allow it to stay that way.
The winning Powerball ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Quincy, Illinois, but the person who purchased the ticket has not publicly identified themselves.
Illinois allows lottery winners of $250,000 or more to request anonymity. If the winner makes that request when claiming the prize, the Illinois Lottery can keep the winner’s name and municipality confidential.
What this means: The public knows where the winning ticket was sold, but we may never learn who actually won the $1.04 billion jackpot.
The winner has one year from the August 12, 2026 drawing to claim the prize.
Source: Illinois Lottery
When’s Your Next Chance to Win the Powerball Jackpot?
If you didn’t have the winning ticket this time, you won’t have to wait long for another chance.
The next Powerball drawing is Saturday, August 15, 2026.
Because the $1.04 billion jackpot was won Wednesday night, the Powerball jackpot resets to an estimated $20 million for Saturday’s drawing.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Tickets cost $2 per play.
So while Saturday’s jackpot is nowhere near the billion-dollar prize that just made headlines, another massive jackpot could begin building if nobody matches all six numbers.
Who Won the $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot?
The winning ticket holder has not been publicly identified.
Powerball officials said the ticket was purchased at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh location in Quincy. The retailer will receive a $500,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The winner now has a very important decision to make.
The advertised jackpot is $1.04 billion if taken as an annuity, while the estimated lump-sum cash option is $450.5 million, with both amounts before taxes.
The annuity is paid in graduated installments over 29 years.
What Were the Powerball Winning Numbers?
For the Wednesday, August 12, 2026 drawing, the numbers were:
4, 26, 66, 67, 69 + Powerball 9
If you purchased a ticket for Wednesday’s drawing, it’s worth checking it carefully. The jackpot-winning ticket was the only ticket to match all six numbers, but millions of other tickets also won smaller prizes.
Five tickets matched all five white balls without the Powerball. Four won $1 million prizes, while a Massachusetts ticket with the Power Play option won $2 million.
Why Was the Powerball Jackpot So Big?
The jackpot had been growing for months because nobody had matched all six numbers.
Wednesday night’s win ended a streak of 44 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner dating back to May 2.
That long stretch allowed the prize to climb past the $1 billion mark and become one of the biggest Powerball jackpots ever offered.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot remain approximately 1 in 292.2 million, regardless of how large the jackpot becomes.
The Illinois Store That Sold the Winning Ticket Gets a Bonus
The lucky winner wasn’t the only one to benefit.
The Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh store in Quincy that sold the ticket will receive a $500,000 cash bonus.
Illinois Lottery officials also said the jackpot run generated significant lottery sales in the state. Since the jackpot run began May 4, Illinois players purchased more than $53.8 million in Powerball tickets, generating more than $21.5 million for the state’s Common School Fund, which supports K–12 public education.
What Happens Now?
For the winner, the first step is protecting the ticket.
Illinois Lottery officials advise the winner to sign the back of the ticket and keep it somewhere secure until they are ready to claim the prize. The winner has one year from the date of the drawing to claim the jackpot.
For everyone else, the next opportunity comes Saturday night.
Next Powerball Drawing: Saturday, August 15, 2026
Estimated Jackpot: $20 million
Drawing Time: 10:59 p.m. ET
Ticket Price: $2
And if Saturday’s jackpot isn’t won, the amount will begin climbing again.
A $20 million jackpot today could eventually become another billion-dollar headline — although the odds of hitting the jackpot remain the same every time.
Check the Official Powerball Results
For official winning numbers, jackpot amounts and upcoming drawings, visit the official Powerball website.
This story is for informational purposes only. Lottery games are gambling, and the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are extremely low. Play responsibly.
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