In an extraordinary start to 2024, a fortunate individual holding a Powerball ticket in Michigan clinched the estimated $842 million jackpot during a historic drawing on New Year’s night.
The winning numbers – 12, 21, 42, 44, 49, with a red Powerball of 1 – made this the first time a jackpot was won on New Year’s Day since the inception of the Powerball game in 1992.
The winning ticket was sold at a Food Castle grocery store in Grand Blanc, Michigan, located 60 miles north of Detroit. The new millionaire has the option to receive the grand prize in 30 intervals over 29 years, totaling $842 million, or opt for a one-time payout of $425.2 million.
Drew Svitko, Powerball Product Group Chair and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director, expressed excitement, stating, “What an incredible beginning to the New Year for Powerball!”
Additionally, two tickets sold in Florida and Texas won $2 million each by matching all five white numbers and utilizing the lottery’s Power Play feature. Four individual tickets sold in California, Connecticut, Florida, and Maryland matched all five white numbers, securing a $1 million prize each.
Looking ahead, the lottery’s next drawing on January 3 will reset to the minimum grand prize of $20 million. The odds of winning Powerball’s grand prize are an astronomical 1 in 292,201,338.
This drawing marks the first Powerball jackpot won in 2024, the first since October 11, when a California ticketholder secured the second-largest prize in the game’s history – a $1.76 billion jackpot. The winner, who remains anonymous, is believed to be a local resident who frequents the store for lottery play.
Edwin Castro, the 31-year-old Los Angeles resident who won a $2.07 billion prize in October, opted for a one-time lump-sum payment of $997.6 million. Castro has been focusing on building his real estate portfolio, acquiring three mansions in California totaling $76 million, along with indulging in luxurious vacations. After his win, he temporarily stepped away from social media and treated friends to a vacation in Fiji.
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