Historic Powerball Jackpot Split Between Missouri and Texas

Two fortunate players from Missouri and Texas each claimed a share of the record-breaking $1.79 billion Powerball jackpot on Saturday night, ending a more-than-three-month dry spell for big wins.

The winning numbers drawn were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, with the red Powerball 17. Both winners now face choices: they can receive an annuity of approximately $895 million paid over 29 years or a lump sum of about $410.3 million before taxes.

The Texas winner purchased their ticket at Big’s 103 gas station in Fredericksburg, a small town centrally located about 75 miles west of Austin. This marks Texas’s third or fourth time selling a Powerball jackpot-winning ticket, while Missouri has now seen 33 jackpot wins—second only to Indiana’s 39.

In total, fifteen players across the nation matched all five white balls, earning $1 million each. Notably, players from Kansas and Texas who also matched all five balls increased their winnings to $2 million by choosing the Power Play option.

The recent jackpot surpasses the previous record of $1.765 billion won earlier in 2023 by Theodorus Struyck in California, who opted for a lump sum of $744 million. Saturday’s payout sets a new 2025 record, far exceeding the prior $526.5 million prize handed out in March.

Despite the massive jackpot, the odds of winning remain extraordinarily slim—about 1 in 292.2 million—making it statistically rarer than winning the presidency, which has odds of 1 in 32.6 million.

This victory ends a long drought since the last jackpot was claimed in May, when a California ticket from May 31 was worth $204.5 million but remains unclaimed. The winners now have between 90 days and a year to come forward to claim their prizes, depending on the state laws.