Can a $2 Powerball lottery ticket make you a billionaire? So far, no. But one person has come close.

In September, a pair of tickets from Texas and Missouri won big in the $1.787 billion Powerball, splitting that prize. Both winners took the lump sum, which is significantly less than the nearly $1.8 billion Powerball prize, but still a lot of money.

On the 2025 Christmas Eve holiday, one ticket from Arkansas won the total $1.817 billion Powerball. When that winner comes forward, if he or she takes the lump sum, it will be significantly less than $1 billion after taxes. However, the winners in the September and December Powerball drawings get credit for being the ticket-holder in a billion-dollar lottery jackpot.

Here’s how much the $1.787 billion Powerball winners took home after taxes, info about the Arkansas winner of the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot, and a look back at how a $2 Powerball ticket almost made someone a billionaire.

**Record-setting wins: **After $1.8 billion Powerball win in Texas, Missouri, who took the cash in US biggest jackpots?

Who won $1.787 billion Powerball drawing on Sept. 6, 2025, in Missouri and Texas?

The $1.787 billion Powerball lottery numbers for Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, were 11-23-44-61-62 and the Powerball was 17.

A QuikTrip gas station and convenience store in St. Louis, Missouri, and a Big’s 103 gas station and convenience store in Fredericksburg, Texas, sold the winning Powerball tickets. Since there were two winners, the $1.787 billion prize was split at $893.5 million or a one-time lump sum of $410.3 million, both amounts before taxes.

Two weeks after the draw, the Missouri Lottery announced that state’s winner came forward to claim their $893.5 million with the cash prize of $410.3 million. The organization said the Missouri Powerball player, who set a record and claimed the largest prize ever won by a Missouri Lottery player, "plans to take time off and enjoy the experience."

The Texas Lottery announce their state’s $1.787 billion Powerball winner chose the cash value − players there must select the lump sum or annuity at the time of ticket purchase − and also will receive $410.3 million, specifically $410,324,470.28, before taxes.

On Powerball’s site online, the two winners in the Sept. 6, 2025, Powerball drawing for $1.787 billion − an anonymous player in St. Louis, Missouri, and Seven Bridges Revocable Trust in Fredericksburg, Texas − show the cash prize option split for $820.6 million.

How much did $1.787 billion Powerball winner in Missouri take home after taxes?

The Missouri winner chose the one-time payment of about $410.3 million. By law, the Missouri Lottery may not publish names of lottery jackpot winners without prior consent. Effective Aug. 28, 2021, Missouri Lottery will publish a winner’s name only if the winner has provided written consent, in accordance with HB 402.

Missouri Lottery rules state all lottery winnings are subject to federal and state taxes, and the Missouri Lottery organization is "required to withhold 4% Missouri state tax on prizes of $600.01 or more, along with 24% federal tax for prizes of more than $5,000. Winners may owe additional taxes for the prize or they may receive a refund, depending on personal income."

Using that formula, 24% of $410.3 million equals $98.47 million, with 4% of $410.3 million at $16.41 million. Adding those two values and then subtracting $114.88 million from $410.3 million leads to $295.42 million for the Missouri winner.

How much will $1.787 billion Powerball winner in Texas take home after taxes?

According to the Texas Lottery, "winnings are subject to federal income tax withholding (prizes greater than $5,000.00). The tax withholding rate is 24% for lottery winnings, less the wager, for prizes greater than $5,000."

Some states, like Texas, are not subject to state income for tax lottery winnings.

"Only a few states — California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — do not impose a state tax on lottery winnings. Keep in mind that although living in these states may allow you to shelter your winnings from state tax, federal withholding and taxes will still apply," financial site NerdWallet states.

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The Texas winner of the $1.8 billion Powerball prize opted for the cash at the time of ticket purchase, so their share of the prize, like the Missouri winner, is $410.3 million before taxes. The amount taken from the prize, $98.47 million or 24% for federal taxes, leaves the winner with $311.83 million.

However, the total lump sum is subject to a federal tax rate of up to 37%. That means another $53.34 million in addition to the $98.47 million withheld by the Texas Lottery. The Powerball lottery winnings would be part of the Texas winner’s 2025 federal income tax return and would ultimately leave them with $258.49 million, assuming no other deductions.

Who won $1.817 billion Powerball in Arkansas on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025?

After the record-setting Powerball drawing, Powerball officials and the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery reported the ticket was purchased in the Natural State. Murphy USA gas station, 208 S. Rockwood Drive, Cabot, Arkansas, sold the lottery ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, or Christmas Eve Powerball drawing for a then-$1.7 billion jackpot. Final ticket sales pushed the grand prize total to $1.817 billion.

As of Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, it is not known who the winner of the $1.817 billion Powerball grand prize was. The vetting process typically takes a few weeks, according to organizations like the California Lottery.

How much will $1.817 billion Christmas Eve Powerball winner in Arkansas take home after taxes?

The sole jackpot winner could claim $1.817 billion over annual payments or take a one-time lump sum, valued at $834.9 million. "Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5 percent each year," Powerball.com states.

According to a story in Forbes posted soon after the Powerball winner was announced, "if the cash reward is picked, the winnings will first drop to around $634.5 million after a mandatory federal withholding of 24% is applied." Further, the winner would likely face a "federal marginal rate of 37% depending on their taxable income," with another cut to the winnings to about $526 million (from $1.817 billion).

Arkansas Scholarship Lottery online states another "3.9% tax on prizes more than $5,000" will be withheld.

Who is Edwin Castro? Who won $2.04 billion Powerball drawing?

Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, sole winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball drawing on Nov. 7, 2022, opted for the lump sum, which was just shy of $1 billion, according to the California Lottery. Castro bought the ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Powerball from Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.

Declining to appear on camera, Castro claimed his prize on Feb. 14, 2023 − Valentine’s Day − and received a check from the California Lottery for $997.6 million during a press conference. In California, it is public record to know who won a Powerball, Mega Millions or California Lottery jackpot and where the winning ticket was sold. Rules vary in other states, such as Florida, where it is public record to know who won a lottery jackpot, though winners in that state can claim their grand prize through a trust or LLC.

California, like Texas, does not impose a state tax on lottery winnings. After taxes, Castro likely walked away with $628.5 million, USA TODAY reported.

Contributing: George Petras and Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Powerball winners split $1.7 billion in Texas, Missouri, took lump sum