Someone in Illinois just became one of the biggest Powerball winners in U.S. lottery history.
A single Powerball ticket sold in Quincy, Illinois, matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, August 12 drawing to win an estimated $1.04 billion jackpot.
The massive prize is the largest Powerball jackpot won in 2026 and ranks as the eighth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
What Were the Winning Powerball Numbers?
The winning Powerball numbers for the August 12, 2026 drawing were:
4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9
The winning ticket matched all five white balls plus the red Powerball, overcoming jackpot odds of approximately 1 in 292.2 million.
After weeks without a grand-prize winner, one ticket finally matched everything.
Where Was the $1.04 Billion Powerball Ticket Sold?
The jackpot-winning ticket was purchased at a Hy-Vee Gas Fresh & Fast location in Quincy, Illinois.
The store is located at 310 N. 36th Street in Quincy.
The identity of the winner had not been publicly announced as of Thursday morning.
That means somewhere in Illinois, someone may have woken up knowing that a lottery ticket in their possession is potentially worth more than $1 billion.
Powerball Winner Can Choose $1.04 Billion Annuity or $450.5 Million Cash
Winning the advertised $1.04 billion doesn't necessarily mean the winner will immediately receive a billion-dollar check.
The jackpot winner will have two major choices.
The winner can select the approximately $1.04 billion annuity, which is paid through an initial payment followed by annual payments over roughly three decades.
Or the winner can choose the $450.5 million lump-sum cash option before taxes.
Many major lottery winners choose the cash option because it provides immediate control over the money, although the final amount received would be significantly lower after federal and applicable state taxes.
$1.04 Billion Jackpot Ends 44-Drawing Powerball Run
The billion-dollar victory also ends one of Powerball's lengthy jackpot runs.
There had been 44 consecutive drawings without someone winning the grand prize before the Illinois ticket matched all six numbers.
As more drawings passed without a jackpot winner, the prize continued growing until crossing the billion-dollar mark.
That growth helped create one of the largest Powerball prizes ever awarded.
Eighth-Largest Powerball Jackpot in History
A $1.04 billion jackpot puts the Illinois winner into extremely rare territory.
Only a handful of Powerball jackpots have ever surpassed the billion-dollar level.
The record demonstrates how dramatically lottery jackpots can increase when consecutive drawings produce no grand-prize winner.
Once jackpots reach hundreds of millions — and particularly when they cross $1 billion — national attention tends to increase, bringing even more players into the game.
Other Powerball Players Also Won Millions
The Illinois jackpot winner wasn't the only player celebrating after Wednesday's drawing.
Other tickets around the country matched enough numbers to generate major prizes, including a $2 million Match 5 prize in Massachusetts.
Tickets in several other states also produced $1 million Match 5 winners, including Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina.
But only one ticket matched all six numbers necessary to claim the enormous jackpot.
That ticket was sold in Illinois.
What Should Someone Do After Winning $1 Billion?
Winning more than $1 billion can create financial opportunities that last for generations, but handling a prize of this size requires careful planning.
Before making major purchases, financial professionals commonly recommend that extremely large lottery winners assemble a team that may include an attorney, certified public accountant, estate-planning professional and experienced financial adviser.
A winner may also need to consider taxes, trusts, investment strategies, charitable giving, estate planning and privacy before claiming or spending the money.
With a cash option exceeding $450 million before taxes, even relatively small financial decisions can involve millions of dollars.
Illinois Has a New Powerball Billionaire
For now, one huge question remains:
Who bought the winning ticket?
Until the winner comes forward and the ticket is officially claimed, speculation will continue around Quincy and throughout Illinois.
What is already known is remarkable enough.
One ticket matched 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9.
And with those six numbers, someone's life potentially changed forever.
The estimated $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot is the biggest Powerball prize of 2026 and one of the largest jackpots ever won in the United States.
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