Here Are the 10 Biggest U.S. Lottery Jackpots Ever

Huge jackpots have become increasingly common in the multistate Mega Millions and Powerball lottery drawings, because of changes to the games over the years and higher ticket prices.

Between the two lotteries, more than 10 jackpots in the United States have surpassed $1 billion since 2016, including four in 2023. There have been two jackpots over $1 billion in 2024: an estimated $1.13 billion Mega Millions prize claimed by a winning ticket in New Jersey in March, and a $1.33 billion Powerball jackpot won on April 7 by a ticket sold in Oregon.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest U.S. jackpots ever.

1. $2.04 billion

The largest lottery jackpot to date, a Powerball drawing, was won on Nov. 7, 2022. The ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, Calif., just north of Pasadena.

On Feb. 14, 2023, California Lottery officials revealed the name of the winner, Edwin Castro, but did not release further information about him at his request.

2. $1.765 billion

A single Powerball ticket sold in California won the second largest U.S. lottery jackpot in October 2023. Taken as a cash payout instead of an annuity, it would be worth $774.1 million before taxes.

The winning ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, a rural town about 70 miles north of Los Angeles. In March 2024, the California Lottery said that Theodorus Struyck had come forward as the representative of a group of people who would split the jackpot.