Powerball jackpot rises to $825 million, fifth largest in US
A massive lottery jackpot got a little bigger as the top Powerball prize climbed to an estimated $825 million ahead of Saturday night’s drawing
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A massive lottery jackpot got a little bigger Friday as the top Powerball prize climbed to an estimated $825 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing.
The Powerball jackpot ranks as the fifth-largest in U.S. history, though it's good to keep in mind that it has grown so large because no one has hit all six numbers since Aug. 3. That's 36 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner.
Why the extended winless streak? Because the odds of winning the jackpot are an abysmal one in 292.2 million. The long odds are designed to limit jackpot winners, which in turn allows the grand prize to grow so large.
The $825 million prize is for winners who choose to take their riches through an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for cash, which for Saturday's drawing would be an estimated $410.2 million.
Those winnings also would be subject to federal taxes. Many states tax lottery winnings, too.
Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.