Quincy Gas Station Sold the $1.04 Billion Powerball Ticket

A single Powerball ticket bought at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh gas station in Quincy, Illinois, matched all six numbers on August 12 and claimed the sole $1.04 billion jackpot, the eighth-largest in the game’s history. The cash option stands at $450.5 million before taxes. The winner has not stepped forward.

The ticket ended a 44-drawing drought that began after a $20 million prize was split on May 2. It was also the first jackpot run that included players from the United Kingdom.

The Ticket Left the Counter at 36th and Broadway

Illinois Lottery officials confirmed the winning slip was sold at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh located at 310 N. 36th Street in Quincy, a river city of roughly 39,000 people about 100 miles west of Springfield. The numbers were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69 with Powerball 9. The Power Play multiplier landed on 2x.

Store manager Jon Marshall, 47, told local reporters his phone started ringing at 3 a.m. He made clear he was not the winner by showing up for his regular shift. “I’ve been up since 3 a.m., so, people calling me and texting me and things like that,” he said. “So, asking me if I’m working today, but I’m here working, so definitely not the winner.”

Under Powerball rules the retailer receives a $500,000 cash bonus for selling a jackpot ticket. Marshall described the hunt for the actual holder as feeling “like a murder mystery.” Most of his customers are regulars. The store instantly became a media destination, with national crews and the New York Post on the line the next morning.

• Exact address: Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 310 N. 36th St., Quincy, Illinois
• Retailer bonus: $500,000 paid by the Illinois Lottery
• Manager confirmation: Jon Marshall publicly denied being the winner while working his shift
• Local flavor: Quincy sits on the Mississippi River near the Missouri border

Stephen Durrell, chair of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Kansas Lottery, issued the official Powerball announcement of the Illinois win. “For more than three decades, Powerball has shown that a winning ticket can be sold anywhere the game is played, giving every $2 ticket the chance to change not only a winner’s life, but generations to come,” he said.

Five Other Tickets Hit the Million-Dollar Tier

While only one ticket claimed the jackpot, five more matched the five white balls. Four of those were worth $1 million each. A fifth, sold in Massachusetts with the Power Play option, paid $2 million. California’s Match 5 prize was adjusted lower under its pari-mutuel rules. More than 3 million tickets overall won some cash prize.

The full prize tier breakdown from the August 12 draw is posted on the Powerball site and shows tens of thousands of smaller winners across every lower category.

Taxes Carve the Cash Option Nearly in Half

Almost every jackpot winner takes the lump sum. On a $450.5 million cash prize the IRS withholds 24 percent automatically. The top federal rate is 37 percent. Illinois adds a flat 4.95 percent state tax.

According to calculations circulated after the draw, a single filer in the top bracket who chooses the cash option would net roughly $261.6 million after federal and state taxes. The annuity path, paid in 30 graduated installments over 29 years, would leave a higher total after taxes but spread across decades. Winners who want the lump sum must claim within 60 days; the overall claim window is one year.

• Cash option before tax: $450.5 million
• Estimated net after top federal + Illinois tax: about $261.6 million
• Annuity total before tax: $1.04 billion over 30 payments
• Automatic federal withholding: 24 percent on prizes above $5,000

Financial planners and tax attorneys become mandatory overnight. The winner also faces decisions on trusts, security, and whether to keep any public profile at all.

Illinois Lets Big Winners Disappear

Illinois law allows any lottery winner of $250,000 or more to request that their name and hometown stay confidential. The request must be made on the claim form. If it is not checked, the lottery routinely publishes the name, city and amount. Multimillion-dollar winners may still be asked to appear at a publicity event, but the anonymity option has become the default strategy for jackpot holders who want privacy.

That rule turns the Quincy ticket into a permanent ghost story if the holder chooses it. Past Illinois mega winners have used the same shield. The public sees only that a ticket was sold and later claimed. Friends, relatives and strangers who might surface with requests never get a confirmed name or face. Illinois Lottery rules on anonymity and claim deadlines spell out the exact process and the one-year window.

I’ve been up since 3 a.m., so, people calling me and texting me and things like that. So, asking me if I’m working today, but I’m here working, so definitely not the winner.

Jon Marshall, Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh manager in Quincy, speaking the morning after the draw.

A River Town Suddenly Lives Inside the Story

Quincy woke up to national cameras and nonstop speculation. Locals checked tickets. Regulars at the Hy-Vee became temporary celebrities by association. A former television reporter who once lived in the city joked online that someone would be picking up the tab at a popular local spot. The manager’s “murder mystery” line captured the mood: everyone wants to know who walked out with the ticket, and no one has proof.

The $500,000 retailer bonus is real money for the store. It is also a fraction of the jackpot and arrives without the same tax or security complications the winner faces. For a town this size the win is both a windfall and a disruption. Media trucks, phone calls and tourists asking directions to the pumps become part of daily life until the ticket is claimed or the news cycle moves on.

How a Three-Month Drought Reached $1.04 Billion

The jackpot had rolled since the May 2 drawing. Ticket sales in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and, starting July 21, the United Kingdom pushed the prize past the billion-dollar mark. Officials noted it was the first jackpot run that included UK players and said the expanded base should accelerate future growth. An earlier climb fueled by the UK expansion already showed the effect before this win.

At $2 per play the odds of hitting the jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million. The record still belongs to the $2.04 billion Powerball ticket sold in California in November 2022. Right behind it sits the $1.817 billion Arkansas Christmas Eve jackpot from December 2025. This Illinois prize slots in at eighth on the all-time Powerball list.

The next drawing resets to $20 million on Saturday, with the 10x Power Play available because the advertised jackpot sits below $150 million.

The Reset Starts Small Again

Saturday’s jackpot begins at the base $20 million. With UK players now in the mix and the long drought fresh in memory, the climb could accelerate. For the Quincy winner the immediate tasks are simpler and heavier: secure the ticket, consult lawyers and accountants, decide on the cash or annuity path, and check the anonymity box if privacy is the goal. The store has already locked in its $500,000. The town will keep guessing until a claim is filed or the year runs out.

More than three million other tickets paid something on Wednesday night. Most winners will cash those slips at the same counters where they bought them. One ticket, sold for $2 at a western Illinois gas station, carries the rest of the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the exact odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?

The odds of matching all five white balls plus the Powerball are 1 in 292,201,338. Matching five white balls without the Powerball sits at roughly 1 in 11.7 million.

Can the Illinois Powerball winner stay anonymous forever?

Yes. Illinois lets winners of $250,000 or more request that their name and municipality remain confidential on the claim form. Once granted, the lottery does not publish that information, though the fact of a claim in the state is still confirmed.

How long does the winner have to claim the $1.04 billion prize?

The ticket must be claimed within one year of the August 12, 2026 drawing. To take the lump-sum cash option the claim must be filed within 60 days; after that only the annuity is available.

How much does the retailer receive for selling a Powerball jackpot ticket?

The selling retailer receives a $500,000 cash bonus from the lottery. That payment is separate from the jackpot and goes to the store, not the individual clerk.

Where does this jackpot rank among all Powerball prizes?

It is the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot ever awarded. The top spot remains the $2.04 billion California win from November 2022, followed by the $1.817 billion Arkansas prize from December 2025.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal or financial advice. Lottery winners should consult qualified professionals before making decisions about prizes, taxes or claims.