This historic jackpot — the second-largest Powerball prize ever awarded in the United States and the largest of 2025 — had grown over many drawings without a winner, culminating in a festive Christmas Eve windfall.
The lucky ticket holder now has the option to receive the full annuitized jackpot of $1.817 billion paid over 30 years or a lump-sum cash payout of about $834.9 million, before taxes and deductions.
Lottery officials announced that it may be several days before the identity of the winner is publicly known, as claims offices are closed for the holiday period and will reopen after Christmas.
In addition to the top prize, multiple secondary winners claimed notable payouts — including eight tickets nationwide that matched all five white balls to win $1 million each, along with numerous other prizes ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
The jackpot reset to $20 million for the next drawing following the Christmas Eve win.
Powerball tickets are sold in 45 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with the odds of hitting the jackpot estimated at 1 in 292.2 million — making the holiday miracle win exceptionally rare and newsworthy.