Winning ticket for $2 billion Powerball jackpot sold in California
"First ever billionaire" in Golden State lottery history.
A California resident has won the historic $2 billion Powerball jackpot, the state's lottery department announced on Tuesday, ending a wild nationwide dash to claim the eye-popping prize.
California Lottery said on Twitter on Tuesday the state had minted its "first ever billionaire" with a ticket sold near Los Angeles.
"One lucky ticket sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena matched all 6 numbers in the November 7 [Powerball] draw," the lottery bureau said. "The final jackpot amount for this draw came to $2.04 BILLION dollars."
The identity of the winner is not yet known, though California requires lottery claimants to go public when claiming the cash prizes; only a handful of states allow victors to remain anonymous.
The California Lottery noted that "three more tickets matched 5 numbers missing just the Powerball in Gardena, Beaumont, and San Francisco."