Single Ticket Holder Who Won Record $2.04 Billion Powerball Last Year Hasn't Claimed Prize Yet

Julia Moore
·3 min read
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Someone in California has a huge prize with their name on it, but their identity remains a mystery.

In November, one lucky ticket in Altadena, Calif. correctly matched all six numbers to win the Powerball jackpot: a record-breaking $2.04 billion.

Per state law, the winner has one year from the drawing to claim the prize, but no one has come forward with the winning ticket yet, according to The CW station KTLA.

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While an issue with security protocols delayed the initial announcement of the winning numbers, the lineup was eventually announced on Nov. 8, with winning numbers 10, 33, 41, 47 and 56, and 10 as the Powerball.

November's draw marked the world's largest lottery prize, with the winner set to take home either a lump sum payment of $997.6 million before taxes, or an annuitized prize, according to lottery officials.

Powerball
Powerball

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Carolyn Becker, a California Lottery spokesperson, addressed the situation in a statement to PEOPLE, but did not confirm KTLA's report.

"The California Lottery does not announce or publicly acknowledge when someone comes forward to claim a prize. That's because our big winners and their prize claim packets go through a rigorous vetting process by our security and law enforcement team," said Becker. "That process can take weeks, or – depending on the circumstances – sometimes months, and we don't declare anyone a winner until that review period is complete. This process is designed to ensure the legitimacy of the win."

"Also keep in mind that jackpot winners for both Powerball and Mega Millions have up to a year to come forward, and this particular win only happened about two and a half months ago in early November," Becker added.

Regardless, if and when the winner is identified, the world will know: California law mandates that the California Lottery publicize the winner's full name and total winnings as public record.

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If no winner comes forward, the Powerball policy is that the prize is returned to "all lotteries in proportion to their sales for the draw run."

The California policy is to transfer any unclaimed lottery funds to the state's public schools, so the education system could be looking at a massive payout next fall — on top of the $156.3 million schools have already received from the drawing's ticket sales, per KTLA.

A representative for the California Lottery did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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While it remains unclear who the lucky ticket owner is, the owner of Joe's Service Center, which sold the winning ticket, was rewarded in his own right after the drawing in November.

Joseph Chahayed was given a $1 million retailer selling bonus, and at the time said he was "very surprised" and "very excited."

Business owner Joe Chahayed holds a Powerball bonus check outside Joe's Service Center that sold the winning Powerball ticket of 2.04 billion U.S. dollars in Altadena, California, the United States, on Nov. 8, 2022.
Business owner Joe Chahayed holds a Powerball bonus check outside Joe's Service Center that sold the winning Powerball ticket of 2.04 billion U.S. dollars in Altadena, California, the United States, on Nov. 8, 2022.

Xinhua via Getty

The Syrian immigrant is a grandfather of 10 whose dedication to his shop has made it a staple in the community, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"People call me Papa Joe because I treat all the people in the neighborhood like my family," Chahayed told the newspaper last year. "When you treat customer with respect and dignity, they will keep coming to you, they will be loyal to you. We treat the customer like family."