Powerball Jackpot Climbs to $120 Million
The **Powerball** jackpot has reached an impressive $120 million for the upcoming Saturday drawing. This increase follows a series of rollovers, as no winners were declared in Wednesday’s drawing. If someone wins the jackpot on Saturday, they would receive a lump-sum payment of $56.1 million after taxes. The winning numbers for the May 25 drawing were 6, 33, 35, 36, and 64, with a Powerball of 24. The Power Play multiplier was set at 3X.
Winning Numbers and Potential Winnings
The winning numbers for the **Powerball** drawing on May 25 were 6, 33, 35, 36, and 64, with a Powerball of 24. The Power Play multiplier was set at 3X. If someone wins the jackpot on Saturday, they would receive a lump-sum payment of $56.1 million after taxes. The results will be posted once available, so keep your tickets handy.
Recent Winners and Historical Context
One big winner from **California** matched five numbers for a $1 million prize in Wednesday night’s drawing. The largest recent jackpot was won at $1.3 billion with a cash option of $608.9 million on Saturday, April 6. This was the fourth highest Powerball jackpot and the eighth highest lottery jackpot of all time. Exactly one month later, the jackpot dropped from $215 million to $20 million when a ticket in **Florida** matched all five numbers and the Powerball on Monday, May 6.
National Lottery Results for May 25
The **National Lottery** results for May 25, 2024, have been announced. Tonight’s Lotto jackpot is £3.9 million. The winning numbers are 06, 28, 30, 40, 53, and 58, with a Bonus Ball of 13. The Thunderball winning numbers are 03, 05, 13, 16, and 36, with a Thunderball of 01.
Historical Context of the National Lottery
The first draw of the **National Lottery** was held on November 19, 1994, with a jackpot of £5,874,778 shared by seven winners. The largest single ticket win was £42 million in 1996. **Gareth Bull** won £41 million in November 2020 and built a luxury manor house with a pool. **Sue Davies** won £500,000 after buying a ticket to celebrate ending five months of shielding during the pandemic. **Sandra Devine** accidentally won £300,000 intending to buy her usual £100 scratchcard.
Biggest Jackpot Ever Up for Grabs
In January last year, the biggest jackpot ever up for grabs was £66 million, won by two lucky ticket holders. The estimated odds of winning the lottery are about one in 14 million. The National Lottery has a rich history of creating millionaires and changing lives overnight.
Claiming Prizes and Anonymity Rules
In **Florida**, prizes must be claimed within six months (180 days) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, winners have within the first sixty days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes must be claimed within sixty days of the official end-of-game date. Winners cannot remain anonymous; their name, city of residence, game won, date won, and amount won are public records available upon request. However, names of winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater are temporarily exempt from public disclosure for ninety days unless waived by the winner.
Odds and Prize Ranges
Players have a one in approximately 292.2 million chance to match all six numbers. Prizes range from two dollars to varying grand prize jackpots. The odds of winning the lottery are slim, but the potential rewards are life-changing.
Notable Past Winners
**Edwin Castro** publicly claimed a significant jackpot of $2.04 billion on Valentine’s Day. The text also mentions notable past winners like **Lara and Roger Griffiths**, who won $2.76 million in 2005. They bought a luxury home, a Porsche, and took lavish trips. However, a house fire in 2010 led to financial strain due to underinsurance, and their marriage ended after allegations of infidelity.
**Bud Post** won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but lost it all within a year and was $1 million in debt. He was sued by a former girlfriend for a third of his winnings, and his brother was arrested for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill him. He spent time in jail for firing a gun over a bill collector’s head and lived on $450 a month and food stamps until his death in 2006.
**Martyn and Kay Tott** won $5 million but lost the ticket. The **Camelot Group** confirmed their claim but couldn’t pay due to the lost ticket reporting time limit. **Sharon Tirabassi** won over $10 million Canadian dollars in the Ontario Lottery in 2004. She spent on luxury items and handouts and returned to working part-time and living modestly within a decade.
**Evelyn Adams** won the lottery twice, in 1985 and 1986, totaling $5 million. She gambled away her fortune in Atlantic City. **Tonda Lynn Dickerson**, a former Waffle House waitress, won big but had to pay gift tax after placing winnings into a corporation and granting family stock.
**Gerald Muswagon** won a $10 million Super7 jackpot in Canada in 1998. He spent on vehicles, parties, drugs, and alcohol, and failed business ventures led to financial ruin. He committed suicide in his parents’ garage in 2005.
**Suzanne Mullins** won $4.2 million in the Virginia lotto in 1993. She split the winnings with her family but quickly fell into debt due to medical bills for her uninsured son-in-law. She took out loans against future payouts, switched to a lump-sum payout, but defaulted on loan repayment.
**Americo Lopes**, a construction worker, won the New Jersey lottery, quit his job claiming he needed foot surgery, and lied about winning. He was sued by coworkers who claimed they pitched for the winning ticket, and the court ordered the prize to be split.
**Ibi Roncaioli** won $5 million in the Ontario Lotto/649 in 1991. She secretly gave away money, leading her husband, **Joseph Roncaioli**, to poison her with painkillers upon discovery. He was convicted of manslaughter.
**Michael Carroll** won £9.7 million in the UK jackpot at age nineteen in 2002. He spent on drugs, parties, and cars and was back at square one within five years, hoping for his old job back as a garbage man.
**Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr.**, a West Virginia contractor, won $114 million after taxes from Powerball in 2002. He was robbed multiple times, losing large sums, and was sued by a casino for bounced checks. His fortune was gone within four years.
**Billy Bob Harrell Jr.**, a Pentecostal preacher, won the Texas jackpot of $31 million in 1997. He couldn’t say no to handouts, leading to financial trouble. He committed suicide after a divorce, stating that winning was the worst thing that ever happened to him.
**Willie Hurt** won the Michigan lottery of $3.1 million in 1989. He divorced, lost custody of his children, and was charged with attempted murder two years later due to a crack-cocaine addiction that drained his fortune.
**Denise Rossi** won the California lotto of $1.3 million but kept it secret during an abrupt divorce from her husband, **Thomas**, who later discovered the truth and sued successfully, receiving the entire amount due to non-disclosure fraud ruling by the judge.
**Janite Lee**, a South Korean wigmaker, won an $18 million lottery jackpot in 1993. She gave heavily to charity and political donations, leading to bankruptcy filing in 2001.
**Luke Pittard**, a Welsh-born winner of £1.3 million in 2006, spent almost all his winnings on a trip to the Canary Islands, a wedding, and a house. He returned to his job at McDonald’s a year and a half later.
**Rhoda and Alex Toth** won $13 million in Florida in 1990. They were destitute fifteen years later and accused of tax evasion by the IRS, owing $2.5 million. Alex died before the trial, and Rhoda served a prison term.
**Vivian Nicholson** and her husband, **Keith**, won the British football pools of £152,300 in 1961. They led an extravagant lifestyle and went on a spending spree, declared bankruptcy, and struggled with alcoholism and depression. Vivian died in 2011.
**Callie Rogers**, a teen mom, won £1.9 million in the UK at sixteen years old in 2003. She quickly spent her fortune on vacations, clothing, cars, breast implants, and cocaine. She bought a quarter-million bungalow house for her mother and became a mom of three, teaching her kids the value of money and reflecting that she was too young to win. She is nearly broke but stronger now.
In conclusion, winning the lottery can be a life-changing event, but it comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities. The stories of past winners serve as a reminder that managing newfound wealth requires careful planning and consideration.
