Powerball ticket holder in Illinois wins $1.04 billion jackpot

Nypost · Aug 13, 2026 · 489 words · By Nicholas McEntyre

Financial Windfall Lottery Win

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What to know about Financial Windfall

Powerball ticket holder in Illinois wins $1.04 billion jackpot See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 21

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Powerball ticket holder in Illinois wins $1.04 billion jackpot See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google The Land of Lincoln just got a whole lot richer.

Common ground

A Powerball player in Illinois won the $1.04 billion jackpot Wednesday night, the game’s largest grand prize of the year.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Financial Windfall story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Powerball’s grand prize was last hit when two ticket holders in Texas and Florida shared the $20 million payout on May 2?
How does this story connect Financial Windfall with Lottery Win over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/13/us-news/powerball-1-04-billion-jackpot-winning-tic…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 21 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 11

check_circle Corroborated 7

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “Powerball’s grand prize was last hit when two ticket holders in Texas and Florida shared the $20 million payout on May 2.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “The Florida ticket remains unclaimed.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “The father of three chose the $31,367,629 cash option, according to the lottery.”

CORROBORATED

Independent sources confirm Ted Baumgartner elected for a cash payout of approximately $31,367,629.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ted Baumgartner, a faculty member in the department of kinesiology for 30 years, received the Honor Award from the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance for his merito…
https://news.uga.edu/ted-baumgartner/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Just ask Ted Baumgartner, who won $50 million in the March 30 Powerball drawing.Baumgartner elected to receive his prize in a one-time payment of $31,367,629. After required state and federal withhold…
https://www.powerball.com/freeport-man-wins-50m-powerball-pr…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ted Baumgartner. March 30, 2013. $50,000,000. $31,367,628. Cash.The winning ticket was sold at the Food Castle in Grand Blanc, located at 3035 East Grand Blanc Road. ‘The Breakfast Club’ lottery club …
https://www.powerball.net/winners

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Claim 4: “The odds of hitting the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338.”

CORROBORATED

The odds of 1 in 292,201,338 are confirmed by multiple independent sources including Nypost and official Powerball reporting.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Powerball costs $2 per play. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. Drawings are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/powerball-nea…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Powerball jackpot was last won on October 11, when a ticket in California won a $1.765 billion grand prize. The odds of winning the grand prize are 1 in 292,201,338, according to Powerball.
https://www.kten.com/story/50282990/powerball-draws-numbers-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The overall odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1:292,201,338. Drawings are held at 9:59 p.m. CT every Wednesday and Saturday.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/powerball-winning-numbers-drawn…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 5: “Hartwick chose the one-time cash sum option and split it with his other brother and a third non-relative.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 6: “One Massachusetts player scored a $2 million payday with Match 5, matching all five white balls playing the Power Play option.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding a Massachusetts player winning $2 million with Match 5 and Power Play.

check_circle

Claim 7: “A Powerball player in Illinois won the $1.04 billion jackpot Wednesday night”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (TRUTH Press, USA TODAY, and other news reports) confirm a Powerball ticket sold in Illinois won the $1.04 billion jackpot on Wednesday night.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom, and overseen by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Illinois State Lottery (known simply as the Illinois Lottery) is an American lottery for the U.S. state of Illinois, operated by Allwyn Illinois.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Lottery

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 8: “It is the eighth-largest jackpot win in Powerball’s history, surpassing the $842.4 million winner on New Year’s Day in 2024.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “The new billionaire’s name remained confidential only for six months since he is the sibling of an elected official, according to Arkansas Act 889 of 2021.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “The historic holiday prize was claimed by “The Breakfast Club,” who chose the $425.2 million cash sum after purchasing the winning ticket at a Food Castle grocery store in Grand Blanc, Mich.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “The winning numbers were 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and the red Powerball 9.”

CORROBORATED

The winning numbers (4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9) are consistently reported across multiple independent sources, including Nbcwashington and gulflive.com.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Lottery is operated by Sizekhaya holdings, to whom the licence was awarded in 2026. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission and was established in 2000. Lottery ticket…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_National_Lottery

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Virginia Lottery is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was created in 1987 when Virginians voted in a statewide referendum in favor of a state lottery. The first ticket was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Lottery

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “The Prairie State ticket holder... can choose between the $1 billion prize or a one-time $450.5 million cash payout before taxes.”

CORROBORATED

USA TODAY and other news reports explicitly state the winner can choose between the $1.04 billion annuity or a $450.5 million cash payout before taxes.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “the first since Ted Baumgartner of Freeport won the $50 million drawing on March 30. 2013.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Ted Baumgartner of Freeport won a $50 million Powerball drawing on March 30, 2013.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Just ask Ted Baumgartner, who won $50 million in the March 30 Powerball drawing. He discovered he won the morning of April 1, two days after the drawing, and started calling and texting family members…
https://www.powerball.com/freeport-man-wins-50m-powerball-pr…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Numbers. Saturday March 30th 2013.Powerball Draw Number: 2,186. The winning ticket was bought in Illinois by Ted Baumgartner. He collected a cash payout of $31,367,628.61.
https://www.lotto.net/powerball/numbers/march-30-2013

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ted Baumgartner won a $50 million jackpot on March 30, 2013.
https://www.powerball.net/illinois/numbers

help

Claim 14: “It was the first jackpot win since Powerball began being sold in the UK”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny if this was the first jackpot win since Powerball began being sold in the UK.

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Claim 15: “The new billionaire will be subject to an automatic 24 percent federal withholding tax, an additional 13 percent in federal taxes and the 4.95 percent tax withholding from Illinois.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 16: “The Texas player... chose the $9,000,000 cash option, which was split to $4,500,000 because of the share.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “Four ticket holders in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina all won $1 million as Match 5 winners.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 18: “Wednesday’s golden ticket... was sold at the Hy-Vee Gas Fresh & Fast convenience store in Quincy, Ill., according to the state lottery.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources (AOL, WGEM, and Fox News) confirm the winning ticket was sold at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Quincy, Illinois.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Powerball's $1.04 billion jackpot winning ticket was sold at a Quincy, Illinois, gas station, but the lottery winner remains a mystery as curious residents flock to the store.
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/small-town-buzzing-over-ident…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The winning $1.04 billion Powerball ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Quincy, Illinois. The store’s manager bought his own ticket there, and though he didn’t win, the store will receive a la…
https://www.aol.com/articles/manager-store-sold-1-billion-00…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — QUINCY (WGEM) - A winning ticket for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing was sold at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh gas station on Broadway Street in Quincy. A single ticket sold matched all six numbers, win…
https://www.wgem.com/2026/08/13/winning-powerball-ticket-sol…

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Claim 19: “Hartwick, whose brother Terry Hartwick is serving his third term as North Little Rock mayor, claimed the second-largest Powerball jackpot in history.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 20: “Wednesday’s win is the largest since Tracy Hartwick won the $1.82 billion Powerball jackpot drawing on Christmas Eve in Cabot, Arkansas.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 21: “It is the third time the Powerball jackpot was purchased in Illinois”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one web search result explicitly claims this is the 'third time in history' a Powerball ticket has won in Illinois. Other sources mention it is a record or a big win, but do not confirm the specific count of three wins.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.