Michigan Powerball winner: $840M ticket purchased at Flint convenience store

Lucky Powerball winner bought $842.4 million ticket from Michigan convenience store. Store to receive $1 million prize. Winner has not yet claimed.

A lucky Powerball winner in Michigan purchased a ticket worth $842.4 million from a local convenience store just outside Flint. The Food Castle in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is set to receive a $1 million prize for selling the ticket. The winner, who has not yet come forward to claim their prize, will eventually be required to reveal their identity under Michigan state law. This marks the first time the Powerball has been won on New Year's Day since the game started in 1992. The winning numbers were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and the red Powerball was 1.

The convenience store shared the news on Facebook, expressing excitement and anticipation to hear from the winner. Michigan law states that lottery winners who win more than $10,000 in local games may claim their prizes secretly, but winners of multi-state games like Powerball must reveal their identity. Michigan has opposed bills to protect the anonymity of lottery winners, citing the importance of showing that real people are winning these life-changing prizes.

Cristy Davis, who previously won $70 million, has been fighting for the identities of lottery winners to be kept secret after her identity was used to scam multiple social media users. Scammers have created fake accounts claiming to be Davis and asking for bank information from unsuspecting individuals. Davis has been vocal about the negative impact of having her identity exposed and is advocating for the protection of future winners' identities.

The jackpot had been growing since mid-October, and the chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million. The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $842.4 million payable over 30 years, or a lump sum payment of $425.2 million. Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The last time there was a jackpot winner was on October 11, 2023, and there have been 34 consecutive Powerball drawings since where no one has nabbed the top prize. The game is one of the most popular lottery games in the US, with over 181 million Americans entering every year.