Someone just won a $768.4 million jackpot in Wisconsin. Here are your lottery questions answered
Whoever bought the winning Powerball ticket at a Speedway in New Berlin just had their life changed forever.
The Powerball jackpot is the third largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history — the largest ever in Wisconsin.
The lucky numbers for the $768.4 million jackpot were 16, 20, 37, 44, 62 and Powerball 12. The ticket sold in New Berlin was the only one to match all six numbers.
How much is the winning ticket worth?
The jackpot is $768.4 million. That money would be paid out in annuities for 29 years. Or the winner can also decide to receive a lump-sum payout of $477 million.
Either way, a lot of the money will go to taxes. For example, if the winner takes the $477 million cash option, the state would receive $38 million in taxes, said Wisconsin Revenue Secretary Peter Barca. Lottery winnings are taxed like income, putting winners in the top income bracket. Those big earners are taxed around 40 percent.
Who won the jackpot?
We don't know, yet. Lottery winners in Wisconsin have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prize. That means we may not know until September who has suddenly become a multi-multimillionaire.
In some states, winners can claim the jackpot anonymously. But not in Wisconsin. Winners here are required by law to be identified by the lottery, although they are not required to make any public appearance.
We do know where the winning ticket was purchased. The Speedway gas station at 15555 W. Beloit Road in New Berlin sold the ticket, the Wisconsin Lottery announced Thursday.
Asking for a friend, what should the winner do first?
Step 1: Sign the back of the ticket. Step 2: Put it in a safe deposit box.
Winners are advised to only tell those closest to them about their new riches — don't post on social media about the megamillions. The winner should assemble a team of experts like lawyers and accountants to offer guidance on how to deal with sudden wealth and public attention. Then come forward to get that money.
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What are the odds?
The odds for winning the grand prize are listed by Powerball as 1 in 292,201,338. So really not good. But still better than the odds of picking a perfect NCAA bracket.
When was the last time a Wisconsinite won the Powerball?
Mai Xiong of Milwaukee won $156.2 million in a March 22, 2017 Powerball drawing. She took the one-time cash payout of $93.1 million. Her ticket was purchased from Pewaukee Corner Pump at 1194 W. Capitol Drive in Pewaukee. That's now the third-largest Powerball payout in Wisconsin.
RELATED:Winner from Milwaukee claims $156.2 million Powerball ticket sold at Pewaukee gas station
Where does Wisconsin rank for winning jackpots?
This was the 17th time the winning Powerball jackpot ticket was sold in Wisconsin. That puts Wisconsin tied for 6th on the list of all-time most frequent winning states, according to Wisconsin Lottery.
DATABASE:Search the details of Wisconsin Lottery winners from 2018 and 2019
So what's the next biggest jackpot won in Wisconsin?
A $208.6 million Powerball jackpot was won by a ticket bought in Fond du Lac in 2006. A group of coworkers who dubbed themselves the "100 Miracles" won the prize. The 100 coworkers were the largest group to share in a jackpot prize. They bought their winning ticket at Ma & Pa's Grocery Express in Fond du Lac.
Sarah Hauer can be reached at shauer@journalsentinel.com or on Instagram @HauerSarah and Twitter @SarahHauer. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter Be MKE at jsonline.com/bemke.