Record Powerball Winner Made One Lucky Goof

The Texas winner of half the record $1.78 billion Powerball jackpot has finally stepped forward, albeit anonymously. The Chronicle reports the $410 million prize was claimed through the Seven Bridges Revocable Trust—that trust being a legal structure that allows the winner's name to be kept under wraps. The Fredericksburg ticket was one of two winners nationwide, with the other sold in Missouri. In a statement released through legal representatives, the winner explains they were on the way to church when they checked the ticket and realized they'd won—then stashed the winning slip in the glovebox and walked into church still processing the news.

As for how they landed on the winning numbers, they all had personal significance—with one lucky goof. One number was mistakenly different then what they had intended. The winner opted for the lump-sum payout, taking home just over $410 million before taxes. "We ask for privacy as we look forward to enjoying our lives together as a family," the statement read, ending with a simple: "God bless Texas." This record payout edges out the previous Texas lottery high, a Mega Millions ticket sold in Sugar Land in October 2024, by about $1 million. Fox 4 reports it also marks the third time Texas has been home to a Powerball jackpot winner, though its last big win was in 2015. (Read about the Missouri winner here.)