LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The identity remains hidden, but the biggest lottery moment in Arkansas history is now official: the winner of the $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot has come forward to claim the prize, according to the Arkansas Lottery.
Lottery officials said the single winning ticket — the only one nationwide to match all six numbers — has been validated, confirming an extraordinary payday that ranks among the largest jackpots ever awarded in the United States.
The winner chose to remain anonymous and selected the $834.9 million lump-sum cash option rather than the annuity. After federal taxes and Arkansas’ 3.9% state tax on lottery winnings, the estimated take-home amount is roughly $493 million.
Arkansas law allows lottery winners taking home $500,000 or more to keep their names confidential — but only for a limited time. Those protections typically last three years. If the winner is an elected public official, or a close relative of one, their identity can be released sooner, as early as six months.
The winning ticket was a Quick Pick purchase made at a Murphy USA gas station at 208 South Rockwood Drive in Cabot. It matched the numbers drawn on December 24, 2025: 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with Powerball 19. The Power Play multiplier was 2.
Arkansas Lottery Executive Director Sharon Strong said the winner took time before stepping forward — a move officials encourage — by seeking legal and financial counsel ahead of the claim. The Lottery also highlighted the broader impact of the record run, noting that ticket sales during the jackpot build-up contribute to scholarships and education funding within the state.
The Arkansas Lottery said the jackpot run generated $15.02 million in Powerball sales in the state and delivered $768,267 in retailer commissions. Murphy USA, which sold the jackpot-winning ticket, will receive a $50,000 bonus.
Nationally, the $1.8 billion prize is described as the second-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history, behind only the $2 billion Powerball jackpot previously won in California. The Arkansas win also ended a dramatic stretch of 47 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner.
This is the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won in Arkansas; the first was in 2010. With Wednesday night’s $209.3 million jackpot recently won by a single ticket in North Carolina, the next Powerball annuity jackpot has reset to its starting level of $20 million for the drawing on Saturday, January 24.
Powerball is sold in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with tickets priced at $2 each.
For the original report and additional details, see Lottery Post’s coverage here .
More lottery news: Swikblog Lottery
