$1.8 Billion Powerball Lottery Winner Comes Forward to Claim Biggest Jackpot of 2025

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• An Arkansas lottery player steps forward to claim more than $1.8 billion in prizes in the Dec. 24 Powerball drawing

• This person won the biggest jackpot of 2025, becoming the second biggest winner in Powerball history.

• Winner elects to take home one-time $834.9 million pre-tax cash option

An Arkansas lottery player has officially claimed more than $1.8 billion in winnings after winning the Christmas Eve Powerball drawing.

This individual recently emerged as the winner of the December 24 Powerball drawing, the second-largest jackpot in both Powerball and U.S. lottery history. Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. It was the biggest jackpot of 2025 Associated Press noted.

The winner matched all five white balls and the red Powerball with the numbers 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the red Powerball with the numbers 19. They chose to take the one-time $834.9 million pre-tax cash option.

Sharon Strong, ASL’s chief executive, said the winner “took time to seek legal and financial advice” as recommended by lottery officials before officially receiving his prize.

“We are proud to celebrate this moment not only for our Arkansas winner and Murphy USA, the Arkansas-based company that sold the winning ticket, but also for the positive impact this historic jackpot will have on our state and our mission to raise funds for in-state scholarships,” Strong said.

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Matt Strawn, President of the Powerball Product Group and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, congratulated the winner at a ceremony. Press release It was published the day after the draw.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly a remarkable, life-changing prize,” said Strawn. “We also want to thank all the players who participated in this jackpot series; every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”

The win marks the second time a ticket holder in Arkansas has won the Powerball jackpot, after another winner took home the grand prize in 2010.

Although they didn’t take home the grand prize, the other eight tickets matched five white balls, so players from Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia all took home $1 million. Another 114 tickets won $50,000 in prizes, and another 31 tickets won $100,000 in prizes.

According to officials, this latest Powerball jackpot run lasted 47 drawings; this was a record for most consecutive draws in a single cycle.

The last jackpot was won on September 6, when two tickets in Missouri and Texas shared the $1.787 billion grand prize.

The largest Powerball jackpot in history was won on November 7, 2022, when Californian Edwin Castro won. Powerball jackpot record $2.04 billion. The second largest occurred recently. Won on September 6Two players from Missouri and Texas split the $1.787 billion jackpot.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to: gamtalk.org.

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