Powerball - live: California winner of $2bn draw still hasn’t come forward as man who sold ticket gets $1m

The frenzied interest in winning the record-breaking Powerball jackpot came to a close after it was reported that only one ticket matched the numbers needed to win the more than $2bn grand prize.

As of Tuesday, the record-breaking Powerball jackpot had grown to $2.04bn, according to Powerball.

The latest update to the grand prize came after players waited eagerly for the results of Monday night’s drawing, only for the drawing to be delayed overnight after one of the 48 participating lotteries required “extra time to complete the required security protocols”.

On Tuesday, Powerball announced that the winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56, with a red Powerball 10.

Following the delayed drawing, which was shared on Powerball’s website and in a video uploaded to YouTube, California Lottery officials announced there was one winning ticket.

According to officials, the lucky ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.

As players wait for the winner’s name to be released, the interest in the lottery, and its “technical” difficulties, have sparked a number of memes.

No one has yet claimed the $2bn grand prize as of Wednesday morning.

Follow along below for all of the updates and reactions to the record-breaking Powerball jackpot.

18:55 , Chelsea Ritschel

While only one individual, who has yet to be revealed, walked away with the jackpot-winning Powerball ticket, there were a number of players who won smaller prizes.

According to Lottery officials, 22 tickets sold across the country were worth at least $1m each. The tickets were sold in California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

An additional 225 tickets sold are worth $50,000, after the numbers matched four numbers and the Powerball.

12:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

As for what to do if you win the lottery, experts say one of the first things you should do is consult with a financial advisor and a lawyer.

And although it may be difficult to keep the exciting secret, lottery winners are also advised not to tell anyone but their immediate family about their winnings.

What to do if you win the lottery, according to experts

10:03 , Chelsea Ritschel

While players have remained eager to learn more about the winner of the Powerball jackpot, many shared their happiness over the $1m prize awarded to store owner Joseph Chahayed, who moved to the US from Syria in 1980 with his wife and two children, according to CNN.

“I think I’m happier for the store owner than I am for the Powerball winner,” one person tweeted, while another said: “So happy for him!!”

05:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

Interestingly, if the winner had purchased the winning lottery ticket in a different state, they may not have been identified in the future, as 11 states allow lottery winners to stay anonymous.

These states include: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina.

03:03 , Chelsea Ritschel

While people around the country are understandably interested in the identity of the $2bn grand prize winner, we may have a while to wait before we know any details at all about the individual, as the California State Lottery website notes that winners have a year to claim their prize.

However, the name of the winner will eventually be released in accordance with California’s Public Records Act, USAToday reports. In addition to the individual’s name, the winnings, “including the gross and net installment payments, are all subject to disclosure,” the outlet states.

00:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

As updates about both the Powerball winner and the Midterm Elections continue to trickle in, some have questioned why the counting of votes takes significantly longer than the time it takes to identify the time and place a winning ticket was sold.

“It’s weird that they can track the wining ticket down to the location of sale and the exact time of purchase and how many winners within 30 minutes of drawing the numbers but our elections! It takes days, weeks or months to determine a winner! Fix the process,” one person tweeted.

Wednesday 9 November 2022 22:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

As for the “technical” difficulties that held up Monday night’s drawing earlier this week, it has since been revealed that Minnesota was the state behind the delay.

The lottery said the delay was due to issues with its sales verification due to “unprecedented lottery interest,” according to The Hill.

“The delay was necessary to confirm the Powerball drawing could be conducted securely and accurately,” the lottery stated. “At no time was the integrity of the process compromised.”

The explanation comes after the Multi-State Lottery Association said the delay was caused by one of the 48 participating lotteries, but did not specify which state. “This has happened a few rare times before - just not when the jackpot was at a newsworthy amount,” the lottery association said while announcing the delay.

Wednesday 9 November 2022 20:59 , Chelsea Ritschel

While we still don’t know anything about the lucky individual who won the Powerball jackpot, we do know details about the man who sold the winning ticket - who now happens to be a millionaire himself.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Joseph Chahayed, 75, is the owner of the gas station in Altadena, California, where the winning ticket was sold. As a result, Chahayed received his own cheque for $1m, a Powerball bonus awarded by lottery officials.

As for what he plans to do with the money, Chahayed said he plans to share the money with his family, including his 11 grandchildren.

Wednesday 9 November 2022 18:14 , Chelsea Ritschel

As curiosity over the winner’s identity continues, some have joked that the “real” winner of the $2.04bn Powerball jackpot is the IRS, as the individual with the winning ticket will receive just $627.5m after taxes if they choose to accept their winnings in a lump sum cash prize.

“The winner of the $2bn Powerball jackpot nets $627.5m after taxes. The real jackpot winner is the IRS,” one person joked on Twitter, prompting another person to respond: “The IRS thanks you for your lottery contributions.”

The wait for the winner continues

Wednesday 9 November 2022 12:56 , Jenna Amatulli

As of Wednesday morning, the winner of the $2bn Powerball grand prize had yet to come forward and claim their earnings.

Nothing is known about the winner other than they bought the ticket from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, Southern California.

Third place lottery winners to collect $50,000 in Maine and New York

Wednesday 9 November 2022 12:36 , Jenna Amatulli

New reports indicate that there are still plenty of people who can be excited with the most recent Powerball drawing, even if they haven’t won the grand prize.

A third prize, a whopping $50,000, has been won by many people around the country. The Maine Lottery says there were two $50,000 winners who have yet to collect whle New York says they sold 20 third-prize winning tickets, each worth $50,000.

For a full list of where each of these tickets were sold, you can check New York locations here and Maine locations here.

Owner of Joe’s Service Center, who sold winning ticket, speaks out

Wednesday 9 November 2022 12:27 , Jenna Amatulli

The owner of the shop where a record $2.04bn Powerball jackpot was sold has become a millionaire after receiving a maximum Powerball bonus of $1m.

On Tuesday, a Powerball ticket in Southern California won a record $2.04bn jackpot.

The win comes after more than three months without anyone hitting the top prize.

The winning ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, Southern California. The owner of the shop, Joe Chahayed, has also won a maximum Powerball bonus of $1m.

“I’m very surprised. Very excited. Very happy,” said Mr Chahayed.

Sravasti Dasgupta reports.

Shopkeeper who sold $2bn Powerball ticket: ‘I hoped somebody would win’

Wednesday 9 November 2022 03:20 , Amber Raiken

As the winning Powerball ticket was announced on Election Day, social media users have been using the news as a way to encourage people to vote.

“Oh there was a Powerball winner?” one person wrote on Twitter. “Sorry we missed it; too busy telling people to #VoteBlueToday.”

Wednesday 9 November 2022 02:51 , Amber Raiken

Twitter users are expressing their shock about how there was only one ticket that matched the six Powerball numbers, which were needed to win the $2.04bn prize.

“There was a single powerball winner,” one wrote. “A. Single. Winner. Instant billionaire. That’s going to absolutely ruin somebody’s life.”

Wednesday 9 November 2022 01:38 , Amber Raiken

One lottery ticket worth $1m was sold in Massacushets, as noted by Powerball’s official website. According to the Boston TV station WCVB, the state’s lottery officials have confirmed that the ticket was sold at West Squantum Market and Liquor in Quincy, MA.

Lottery officials hold news conference about jackpot ticket

Wednesday 9 November 2022 00:21 , Amber Raiken

Carolyn Becker, spokesperson for the California Lottery, held a press conference on Tuesday morning outside of Joe’s Service Center to discuss the winning ticket. She addressed the unnamed winner who has the single ticket, claiming that they will realise that they have the piece of paper and will be sure to “keep it safe”.

“It’s possible they know by now, they will soon enough if they watch the news and they need to keep it safe,” she said, as reported by ABC. “This is probably, second to their family, their most prized possession so the most important thing is to keep it safe.”

Joe’s Service Center will get $1m for selling winning lottery ticket

Tuesday 8 November 2022 23:41 , Amber Raiken

Joe’s Service Center will be receiving $1m for selling the jackpot ticket, which is worth $2.04bn, per CBS News. Speaking to the publication, store owner Joseph Chahayed detailed how he and his family could benefit from the money.

“My son is expecting a baby in two months, so we are excited!” he said. “We can have a nice celebration for another baby. I have ten grandchildren.”

Owners of store where winning ticket was purchased discuss $2bn grand prize

Tuesday 8 November 2022 22:50 , Amber Raiken

The owners of Joe’s Service Center in Altadena expressed their excitement over selling the winning ticket, during an interview with KTLA 5 Morning News on Tuesday. After noting that he was happy for California, store owner Joseph Chahayed thanked his peers who had come to his store to congratulate him.

“I’m happy more than anything else for the community,” he said. He also noted that he hopes that the potential winner could put some of the money towards helping the community of Altadena.

Three Powerball tickets worth $1m each sold in New Jersey

Tuesday 8 November 2022 21:44 , Amber Raiken

Three out of the 23 Powerball tickets sold in New Jersey matched the five of the six numbers drawn, as reported by NJ.com. Each of the three tickets are worth $1m, and it has been reported that NJ lottery officials are expected to annouce where in the state theses tickets were sold.

Estimated cash value of winning ticket after taxes

Tuesday 8 November 2022 20:55 , Amber Raiken

As the jackpot was won by a single ticket, this lucky ticket holder will receive the grand prize that’s worth $2.04bn. However, as reported by Fox affiliate KTVU, this value goes down to an estimated cash value of $997.6m after taxes.

Tuesday 8 November 2022 20:25 , Amber Raiken

On Tuesday morning, Twitter users also made jokes about the fact that the Powerball drawing was pushed to the same day as Election Day.

“Nothing like a suspicious 2 billion dollar Powerball scandal to bring the nation together on Election Day,” one person wrote.

“Let’s have a #Powerball glitch the night before election day 2022 to get the people talking. Throw in blood moon eclipse while you’re at it,” another wrote.

Tuesday 8 November 2022 20:11 , Amber Raiken

Another meme has poked fun at the winning ticket by recreating the Powerball logo. On Twitter, one person jokingly wrote out the word “RIGGED” within a graphic of six balls, which is where the winning numbers would be listed.

Delayed drawing sparks memes about Powerball winner

Tuesday 8 November 2022 20:00 , Amber Raiken

Before the California Lottery revealed that a winning ticket was purchased, Twitter users poked fun at the delayed drawing, with people joking about lottery officials trying to pick a number that “didn’t match anyone’s” ticket.

$2.04 billion jackpot won by single ticket

Tuesday 8 November 2022 19:44 , Amber Raiken

The California Lottery revealed on Tuesday that a single ticket had matched all six numbers in the 7 November Powerball draw. The winning ticket was purchased at a shop in Altadena.

Lottery historian discusses the impact of delayed drawing

Tuesday 8 November 2022 19:26 , Amber Raiken

Lottery historian Jonathan D Cohen has shared his thoughts on the delayed drawing, during an interview with The Wall Street Journal, explaining that it could ultimately affect players’ trust in the Powerball game.

“Lotteries in general rely on cultivating players’ trust,” he said. “That’s why when there are scandals those attract so much attention.”

Tuesday 8 November 2022 19:08 , Amber Raiken

After California Lottery officials announced that only one player had bought the winning ticket, Twitter users are claiming that this year’s Powerball was rigged. This criticism comes after the drawing was delayed on Tuesday due to “technical” difficulties.

Tuesday 8 November 2022 18:30 , Chelsea Ritschel

In a follow-up tweet, California Lottery officials revealed that the jackpot winner wasn’t the only lucky player in the state, as the latest drawing also saw an additional three tickets that matched all five numbers except the Powerball.

Tuesday 8 November 2022 18:14 , Chelsea Ritschel

Following the delayed drawing on Tuesday, it was reported that at least one California ticket matched all six numbers.

“California Lottery makes its FIRST EVER Billionaire!” the official Twitter account for the California Lottery tweeted on Tuesday. “One lucky ticket sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena matched all six numbers in the 7 November #Powerball draw. The final jackpot amount for this draw came to $2.04 BILLION dollars.”

Tuesday 8 November 2022 17:58 , Chelsea Ritschel

According to the Multi-State Lottery Association, the delay was caused by one of the 48 participating lotteries, which required additional time to complete necessary security protocols. It did not specify which state.

“This has happened a few rare times before - just not when the jackpot was at a newsworthy amount,” the lottery association said while announcing the delay.

Tuesday 8 November 2022 17:56 , Chelsea Ritschel

Interest in the Powerball jackpot has been high after the grand prize reached a record-breaking amount of $2.04bn this week.

The excitement over the prize only increased after the drawing to determine a winner on Monday night faced delays, with lottery officials unable to reveal the winning numbers until Tuesday morning.