Historic $1.08 Billion Powerball Jackpot Won in Los Angeles Convenience Store

In an astonishing turn of events, a single Powerball ticket sold at a convenience store in Los Angeles has made one lucky individual or group an instant billionaire. The ticket, which matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, secured an unprecedented $1.08 billion jackpot – ranking as the sixth-largest lottery prize in US history and the third-largest Powerball jackpot to date. The winning numbers were revealed as 7, 13, 10, 24, 11, with the Powerball number being 24.

As of now, the fortunate ticket holder(s) has yet to come forward and claim the life-changing prize. The winner(s) face a momentous decision between two payout options: either receiving the full sum over 29 years in annuitized installments, totaling $1.08 billion, or opting for an immediate lump-sum payment of $558.1 million (both figures subject to taxes), as stipulated by Powerball rules.

The ticket was sold at the Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles, making the store a winner in its own right. The California Lottery confirmed that the convenience store would receive nearly $1 million as a bonus for selling the winning ticket. Angélica Menjívar, whose mother owns the store, expressed her delight at the unexpected bonus, but they have yet to decide on how to spend it.

Nabor Herrera, an employee at the store, learned of their extraordinary luck when reporters swarmed him upon his arrival to work on Thursday morning. Herrera revealed that three of his regular customers had purchased a significant number of tickets, and he hoped one of them had struck gold. He even planned to check his own tickets, buoyed by the joy of knowing someone’s life had been forever changed by the win.

In California, Powerball jackpot winners have a year to come forward and claim their prizes, with an additional 60 days to select their preferred payout option. While the jackpot was won by a single ticket, Powerball authorities are advising players to double-check their tickets, as there are seven other potential prize tiers, ranging from $4 to $2 million, depending on individual state lottery rules.

One significant beneficiary of this monumental jackpot win is California’s public school system, which stands to receive nearly $80 million in lottery proceeds from this one game alone, according to Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California Lottery.

Apart from the jaw-dropping jackpot winner, 36 other tickets across 16 states matched all five white balls, entitling the holders to $1 million prizes in most states. Seven of these tickets were sold in California, where the prizes will amount to $448,750 each.

Before Wednesday’s triumph, a staggering 38 consecutive drawings had taken place without a jackpot winner since April 19, when a ticket in Ohio secured a grand prize worth $252.6 million.

Drew Svitko, Powerball Product Group Chair and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director, congratulated the latest jackpot winner and the California Lottery, emphasizing that Powerball has been instrumental in uniting people and helping raise billions of dollars for various noble causes supported by lotteries for over three decades.

Last year, California also witnessed a record-breaking Powerball win when a sole ticket claimed a remarkable $2.04 billion jackpot, leading the gas station owner that sold the ticket to become a millionaire as well.

For those who missed out on the historic Powerball jackpot, hope is not lost, as the upcoming Mega Millions drawing presents another opportunity to hit the jackpot. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing boasts an estimated annuitized value of $720 million, with a cash value of $369.6 million, tempting players to dream big and take a shot at their own life-changing fortune.