An Illinois lottery mystery has finally been solved. Nearly a month after the August 12 Powerball drawing, the winner of the massive $1.04 billion jackpot has stepped forward to claim the prize — but their identity will remain private.
The winning ticket was a simple $2 Quick Pick purchased at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy. The winner bought just one line of numbers and never expected that small purchase to turn into one of the biggest lottery prizes in state history.
$1.04 Billion Powerball Winner Comes Forward
The Illinois Lottery confirmed the jackpot was the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois and the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot in history.
The winner said the unexpected windfall felt like a blessing:
“This is truly a blessing, and I’m incredibly grateful for this unexpected and extraordinary opportunity.”
Rather than rushing to claim the money, the winner spent several weeks working with professional legal and financial advisers before officially coming forward.
Winner Chooses Lump-Sum Payment
After getting professional advice, the winner decided to take the lump-sum cash option instead of receiving the jackpot through an annuity.
Amanda Crosas, manager of the Illinois Lottery Chicago Prize Centre, helped the winner’s legal representatives complete the claim.
After years of handling lottery claims, Crosas said seeing a $1 billion-plus prize finally claimed was an extraordinary moment. She also noted that the claim came after nearly a month of anticipation.
Illinois Powerball Sales Generated Millions
The huge jackpot run began on May 4 and continued until the August 12 drawing. During that period:
- Illinois players bought more than $53.8 million worth of Powerball tickets.
- About $26 million went to the Common School Fund for K–12 public education.
- Retailers earned around $2.5 million in commissions and bonuses.
- Players bought more than 965,000 winning tickets and collected nearly $8 million in non-jackpot prizes.
- Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh received a $500,000 retailer bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The winner had 12 months from the drawing date to claim the prize and 60 days to choose the lump-sum payment option. Illinois law also allows lottery winners receiving $250,000 or more to request anonymity.
For now, the winner’s name remains unknown — but the wait to see who held the billion-dollar ticket is officially over.
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