The Top 10 Biggest Lottery Winners of All Time

Winning the lottery is a dream for most people, but let’s face it, it’s a daunting, if not impossible task. I mean, the chances to win the big prize are almost non-existent. In fact, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to take home the jackpot, and winning has become even harder since Mega Millions and Powerball redesigned their games by including more numbers.

In spite of the odds that go against us, someone still has to win the money, right? It could be you if fate stands by your side (fingers crossed!). That being said, let’s take a look at the ten biggest lottery winners.

10. $435.3 million Powerball (Indiana)

Just a few months ago, on the 22nd of February, 2017, a Powerball ticket worth $435 million was sold in Lafayette, Indiana. The lucky winner has decided to remain anonymous and the cash value of his (or her) prize was an estimated $263.4 million. Not too shabby, I might add.

9. $448.4 million Powerball (three winning tickets)

Moving on, the next prize on our list was won on August 7, 2013, by three winning tickets. One of them belonged to Mario Scarinci of South Brunswick, another lucky winner was Paul White, an engineer based in Minnesota, and 16 Ocean County vehicle maintenance employees had the third winning ticket, who were taken aback by surprise. They all got to split a cash value of $258.2 million.

8. $487 million Powerball (New Hampshire)

The next massive jackpot was won by a family from New Hampshire on July 30, 2016. The ticket holders wanted to keep their identity secret, so their lawyers showed up at the headquarters of the lottery to get the prize. They opted for the cash option, which was determined at $341.7 million, and after paying federal taxes, they got home $253.3 million.

7. $536 million Mega Millions (Indiana)

A few weeks earlier, on July 8, 2016, a winning ticket at Mega Millions worth $536 million was sold in Cambridge City, Indiana, at a Speedway. A married couple with children were the lucky winners, who established a limited liability corporation to get the prize. They’ve also decided to remain anonymous, and since they wanted the prize in money, they got $373.8 million in cash value, and $271 million after paying off their taxes. This is the highest cash value for a Mega Millions ticket ever!

6. $564.1 million Powerball (three winning tickets)

On the 11th of February, 2015 there were three lucky winners for the massive Powerball jackpot. One of them was a woman named Marie Holmes, from North Carolina, and the other winners were from Puerto Rico and Texas. They got to split a cash value of $381.1 million.

5. $587.5 million Powerball (two winning tickets)

The incredible Powerball prize from November 28, 2012 was split between two winning tickets, owned by Cindy and Mark Hill from Missouri, and Matthew Good, from Arizona. The cash value of this massive jackpot was $384.7 million, which would be more than enough for most of us, right?

4. $590.5 million Powerball (Florida)

The 4th biggest lottery prize ever was won by Gloria MacKenzie, an old woman from Florida. She distinguished herself by winning the largest lottery jackpot ever, without having to share. Gloria MacKenzie, 84-year-old at that time, won this gigantic sum ($370.9 million in cash value) after playing the lottery on the 13th of May, 2013. She still took home more than $278 million, after paying all her taxes.

3. $648 million Powerball (two winning tickets)

The next prize on our list, worth $347.6 million in cash value, was shared between two winners, on the 17th of December, 2013. One of the lucky candidates was Steve Tran, who worked as a delivery driver in Northern Carolina, and the second candidate was Ira Curry, from Georgia. After paying off their taxes, they both got to take home over $120 million.

2. $656 million Mega Millions (three winning tickets)

The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever was won on March 30, 2012, with three winning tickets. One of them was owned by three amigos, three Maryland public school employees: a woman in her 20s, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 50s. The two other winning tickets have been sold in Kansas and Illinois. They all got to split a cash value of $474 million.

1. $1.58 billion Powerball (three winning tickets)

And finally, the largest prize ever won in a lottery competition is a mind boggling $1.58 billion. Yes, you’ve read that just right! There were three lucky winners of this astonishing jackpot from January 13, 2016, which bought the tickets from Tennessee, California, and Florida. Nonetheless, not every winner wanted to divulge his or her identity, and as a result, Lisa and John Munford were the only ones who publicly claimed their prize.

The winner based in Florida claimed his/her winnings as The Nickel 95 Trust. With a total cash value of $983.5 million, each of the lucky winners went home with $327.8 million before paying taxes. Without a doubt, buying lottery tickets turned out surprisingly well for them!