Many people look forward to Christmas every year: whether for the time off from work, the good food, or the gifts.
A man in the US state of Arkansas has been given a Christmas gift he will never forget – and it will definitely change his life.
The most expensive gift of the year was given not by Santa Claus, but by the “Powerball” lottery in America.
The lucky winner is estimated to receive $1.8 billion (approximately €1.5 billion). And all he had to do was pick the numbers 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the bonus “Powerball” 19.
Six numbers for ‘Powerball’ billions
Choosing the right six numbers may seem easy but it is not. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million, read: extremely low.
The Christmas Eve jackpot became the second-largest lottery prize in US history because it had not been won in 46 previous drawings.
“Powerball” is a lottery that can be played in 45 US states, the capital Washington DC, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Players choose five numbers between 1 and 69 and one so-called “Powerball” number between 1 and 26.
Winning the lottery in Germany is rare
In Germany, individual winners cannot win that much money in the lottery. The biggest jackpot is in “EuroJackpot”. To win it, players must choose five numbers from 1 to 50 and two so-called “Euro numbers” from 1 to 12. Maximum winnings are limited to €120 million.
If the jackpot exceeds this amount, winners in smaller prize categories receive higher wins instead, for example, if someone has all five numbers but only one Euro number.
Not the biggest jackpot in history
In the US, the “Powerball” winner will not receive all the money at once, but will have to choose between two options. Either the entire prize is paid, but in installments over 30 years. Or a small lump sum payment of $834.9 million immediately. Tax is also deducted.
As incredibly big as this latest win is, it was not the largest jackpot win in US history. It was won in the US state of California in November 2022 – and amounted to $2.04 billion.
This article has been translated from German.