(BBC News) A winning ticket in the state of California has matched every number in the record U.S. Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion, according to Powerball.
If the winner opts for a cash payout, they will take home $997.6 million in one lump sum before taxes.
Another winner who purchased a ticket in Florida won a prize of $2 million. Twenty-two other tickets won $1 million each.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) – which runs the draw – confirmed that the jackpot had risen to $2.04 billion from an earlier estimate of $1.9 billion, making it the world’s largest lottery prize.
On Twitter, California Lottery, part of the MUSL, said that the winning ticket – which matched all six numbers – was purchased at a local service centre in Altadena, Calif.
The previous night, the highly anticipated draw was delayed by nearly 10 hours after Powerball announced that one of the 48 participating lotteries was still processing its sales and play data. All 48 are required to do so before the draw takes place.
“Powerball has stringent security requirements to protect the integrity of the game and remains committed to holding a drawing that gives all players a fair chance to win,” the organization said.
The odds of winning the jackpot was one in 292.2 million, Powerball says.
