$700 MILLION: Powerball lottery jackpot raised just hours after initial estimate

Jan 7, 2016, 12:01 pm (151 comments)

Powerball

By Todd Northrop

Well, that was quick.

Less than 12 hours after the initial estimate for Saturday's Powerball jackpot was set early this morning, the already record-breaking grand prize has now increased to an estimated $700 million.

The jackpot's estimated cash value has also been increased to $428.4 million.

"Saturday's jackpot will be the largest jackpot of any U.S. lottery game on record. This is truly exciting and uncharted territory," said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery and chair of the Powerball game group. "We want to remind players to play responsibly and that it only takes one ticket to win."

Players should expect that the jackpot will increase again one or more times before the Saturday drawing, and unless standing in long lines can be considered "fun", players should buy their tickets early.

Saturday's jackpot started at $40 million on Nov. 7, 2015, and is the result of 18 drawings with no jackpot winner. Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win the jackpot by matching five numbers from a field of 69 numbers and one Powerball number from a field of 26 numbers. Drawings are conducted each Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm Eastern Time.

Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com).  The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Saturday's Powerball jackpot currently stands as the largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States — and in the world.  The amount of the jackpot may rise even further before the drawing Saturday night, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales will certainly continue to push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

If nobody wins Saturday... well, let's not even go there.

  1. Powerball: $700 million, Jan. 9, 2016 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  2. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  3. Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
  4. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
  5. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
  6. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  7. Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
  8. Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
  9. Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
  10. Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
  11. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
  12. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
  13. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
  14. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
  15. Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
  16. Powerball: $338.3 million, Mar. 23, 2013 - New Jersey
  17. Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
  18. Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
  19. Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
  20. The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
  21. Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
  22. Mega Millions: $326 million, Nov. 4, 2014 - New York
  23. Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
  24. Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
  25. Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 25, 2002 - West Virginia

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Powerball: 13
  • Mega Millions: 10
  • The Big Game: 2

The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002.  The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.

Top 25 cash value jackpots

Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.  The new Powerball jackpot ranks as the 2nd-highest lump-sum cash value jackpot in history.

  1. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  2. Powerball: $428.4 million cash, Jan. 9, 2016 ($700 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  3. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
  4. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  5. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
  6. Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($648 million annuity) - California, Georgia
  7. Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
  8. Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
  9. Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
  10. Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
  11. Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
  12. Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
  13. Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
  14. Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
  15. Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey
  16. Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
  17. Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
  18. Mega Millions: $197.5 million cash, Nov. 4, 2014 ($326 million annuity) - New York
  19. Powerball: $197.4 million cash, Sep. 30, 2015 ($310.5 million annuity) - Michigan
  20. Mega Millions: $194.4 million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
  21. Mega Millions: $185 million cash, Nov. 15, 2005 ($315 million annuity) - California
  22. The Big Game: $180 million cash, May 9, 2000 ($363 million annuity) - Illinois, Michigan
  23. Mega Millions: $177.3 million cash, Jan. 16, 2015 ($270 million annuity) - Illinois
  24. Powerball: $177.3 million cash, Feb. 18, 2006 ($365 million annuity) - Nebraska
  25. Powerball: $170.5 million cash, Dec. 25, 2002 ($314.9 million annuity) - West Virginia

The number of jackpot cash values in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Powerball: 13
  • Mega Millions: 11
  • The Big Game: 1

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

I just bought a couple of tickets for this drawing.

 

BuyLow's avatarBuyLow

700 MILLION PLUS!!! I'm RICH B*TCH!!!

 

plumsage's avatarplumsage

There  is bound to be more than 1 jackpot winner.....one of them will be me!!!!HyperBig Smile

joshuacloak's avatarjoshuacloak

"Players should expect that the jackpot will increase again one or more times before the Saturday drawing, and unless standing in long lines can be considered "fun", players should buy their tickets early." 

Yeah, Todd, they are low balling it for sure. It will beat the old record cash jackpot easily.

Hell, they know from last record jackpot sales amount that players can push this thing to around 531,900,000 cash or 869,100,000 annuity!

One-Day

WOW!  Thought somebody won it last night.  700 million dallas?  God dam!  Now I now it will roll into the billion dallas!  I'm telling ya, this is the time!  I wouldn't mind taking the annuity on this giant of a prize.  My daughter can claim the rest of the money after I die.  I just need the starting 5 million dallas to start my thing and live happily ever after.  I can't have the pressure of dealing with so much money, trusting financial advisers with it, investors, etc. right off the bat.   Would give me a heart attack.  I need some heavy education in finances first.

music*'s avatarmusic*

 I have noticed that when another top 25 jackpot win is made then Andrew Jackson "Jack" Whitaker will be pushed out. Either MM or PB. Jack is at #25 West Virginia 315.million.

 David Lee Edwards was overtaken a few record jackpots ago.

 Back to this Record-Breaking jackpot. $700 million!!!

 I am sure that this upcoming exchange of posts between Todd, Terry Rich, and us lottery members will include a few words about this history making activity.

Party

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

What a trillion dollars looks like with double stacked pallets. Wow, I can find room for it don't worry lol. 7 packets wide by 16 packets deep, with each packet being $10,000. 7 x 16 = 112 packets per layer 112 x $10,000 = $1,120,000 per layer. Also shows several other examples of a million, billion, etc. Hope to hit the Powerball soon for at least 5 pallets of almost a half of a billion lol. The little guy on the bottom left is an average sized person lol. A FARM of money baby! http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/calculations.html

BBLL's avatarBBLL

Quote: Originally posted by plumsage on Jan 7, 2016

There  is bound to be more than 1 jackpot winner.....one of them will be me!!!!HyperBig Smile

it could be one or multiple winners 

bsdme

Goooooo GOOOOOO POWERBALL !!! U CAN DO IT! 

I am about to have a POWERBALL FEVER !!!! :)Party

Get paid's avatarGet paid

This is great.Somebody going to win soon,a ton of money.Well I had the powerball number,that was 12bucks,come on lottery gods,work ur magic 4me.Good Luck,my lotto post peeps.

mrlottojackpot

BananaDanceHyperCool How I will look when i see my ticket is a winner. Then at 1:00am when i find out im the single winner of the biggest jackpot of all time. Thank you for everyone for their donations towards my many Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Bugatti Veyrons, and the big ass garage with a few bedrooms in it to store them. A month and a half in the bahamas should get me used to the 1% life real well. Party

BBLL's avatarBBLL

Quote: Originally posted by mrlottojackpot on Jan 7, 2016

BananaDanceHyperCool How I will look when i see my ticket is a winner. Then at 1:00am when i find out im the single winner of the biggest jackpot of all time. Thank you for everyone for their donations towards my many Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Bugatti Veyrons, and the big ass garage with a few bedrooms in it to store them. A month and a half in the bahamas should get me used to the 1% life real well. Party

I want a smart car

y2kjackson

That jackpot is huge. I don't want to share with everyone! Sharing is caring what people say , but not in this case.  If i do win ,  i might have to move to another country , to get away from the leaches ( family members , so called friends)!!

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