The wait is finally over as the second largest Powerball jackpot in history has been claimed. After 42 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner, the $1.787 billion jackpot produced two winning tickets—one sold in Fredericksburg, Texas, and the other in Missouri. Overnight, two ordinary purchases transformed into life changing fortunes, ending one of the longest winning droughts the lottery has ever seen.
The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62 with Powerball 17. Each ticket holder now faces a choice between a 30 year annuity worth nearly $893.5 million or a lump sum cash option of about $410.3 million before taxes. The final take home will vary, especially with Missouri imposing a state lottery tax while Texas winners benefit from the absence of state income tax. Even so, both winners are guaranteed to walk away with hundreds of millions after federal deductions.
The Fredericksburg ticket was purchased at Big’s Gas Station, a modest roadside stop in Texas Hill Country that now carries a place in lottery history. Store employees described the excitement and disbelief that swept through the community as news spread. Missouri officials meanwhile confirmed the sale of the second winning ticket and congratulated the state’s newest multimillionaire.
This historic jackpot has reignited conversations about luck, odds, and sudden wealth. While many see these wins as the ultimate dream, financial advisers caution that such immense prizes require careful planning to manage responsibly. Past winners have often found that the real challenge begins after the thrill of victory fades.
For the rest of the country, the Powerball jackpot has now reset to $20 million, a reminder that even after historic highs, the cycle of hope and chance continues. For the two newest winners, however, life will never be the same again. Their tickets now stand as proof that fortune can appear in the most unexpected places, turning an ordinary day into a moment of history.