Portland Resident Strikes Massive $1.3B Powerball Jackpot

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A tremendous twist of luck has swept through the city of Portland, Oregon, as one, and only one, fortunate person made Saturday their most memorable day after landing the colossal Powerball lottery jackpot; a whopping $1.326 billion, according to official lottery announcements.

The winning numbers that bathed the ticket holder in billions of dollars in Saturday’s draw were 22, 27, 44, 52, and 69, with a Powerball mark of 9. The individual holding the golden ticket has a hefty decision to make: Will it be the full bounty, paid out over a span of years, or a substantial cash payment of $621 million lump-sum at their disposal right away?


Melanie Mesaros, a spokesperson for Oregon’s Lottery, could hardly contain her enthusiasm as she announced the ground-shaking win. “This is our first winner on this scale, which has certainly amped up the excitement levels for us,” she told reporters.

For the time being, only the Portland zip code where the ticket was sold will be disclosed — 97218. Until the fortunate beholder steps into the limelight, further details are withheld. The state lottery maintains that the lucky winner has a full year to claim their winnings.

Sunday saw Oregon Lottery director, Mike Wells, issuing a statement highlighting the historic nature of the stunning jackpot, cementing this as the fourth-largest Powerball win ever and the grandest ever won in the State of Oregon. Mr. Wells conveyed his congratulations and thrill about the enormity of this life-altering windfall. “No one in Oregon has ever won a prize at this level. It’s incredibly exciting for our staff, players, and Oregonians all around.”

Earlier this week, the lottery world held its collective breath as the colossal Powerball jackpot was delayed due to a single participating jurisdiction’s need to finish essential pre-draw procedures. All the anticipation proved to be worth the wait as the Powerball jackpot had swelled to a near-record busting $1.3 billion.

Such a gargantuan prize has been a long time coming. The Powerball hasn’t seen a jackpot winner since the first day of this year when a fortunate player in Michigan claimed an $842.4 million jackpot. This marks the 41st time this jackpot has rolled over – tying it for the longest streak without a primary winner.

The jaw-dropping $1.3 billion jackpot seals its position as the fourth-highest in Powerball history and nestles into the eighth spot when compared to the globally enormous Mega Millions jackpots.

Powerball enthusiasts now eagerly await the unveiling of this lucky winner who swiped the entire pot on Saturday night. Leading with heart-thumping anticipation, the winning ticket holder could go with the lump-sum payment estimated at $608.9 million – pre-tax of course – or opt for the annual payouts of the $1.3 billion, again, pre-tax, delivered as an immediate payment and followed by 29 increasingly-bulging annual payments.

The overwhelming odds of about 1 in 292.2 million seemed worth the two-dollar per play ticket for this particular jackpot earner. Powerball fever didn’t only sweep Portland, but across 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands where hopefuls made their attempts on this third largest Powerball prize in history.