CHARLOTTE, NC — The June 1 Powerball jackpot worth $344.6 million was won by one player who purchased the ticket in North Carolina, officials said. A single ticket matched all six numbers and won the jackpot in Saturday night’s drawing. The jackpot was an estimated $344.6 million at the time of the drawing with a cash option of $223.3 million.
The winning numbers in the Saturday, June 1 drawing were white balls 6, 15, 34, 45, 52, plus Powerball 8, and Power Play multiplier 2X.
Winners can choose to either have the full jackpot amount paid out in 30 installments over 29 years, or winners can take one lump sum payment that is smaller than the actual total. North Carolina’s winner would win $223.3 million before taxes if they choose the lump sum payout.
This was the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won this year, game officials said in a news release. A Wisconsin player won the March 27 drawing worth $768.4 million — the third-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.
The largest Powerball jackpot in history was $1.586 billion, which was shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
Someone in South Carolina claimed the $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot on Oct. 23, 2018, game officials said; the winner chose not to be identified.
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So, what should you do if you are the lucky winner? Many lottery winners hire an attorney, financial planner or both, since most people don’t exactly know what to do when they suddenly come into so much money. Some even bring their lawyer with them to claim their prize. The lottery does not offer counseling services or financial advice for winners.
Financial experts suggest that if you can get more than a 3 or 4 percent return on an investment, the lump sum is actually the best way to go in the long-term.
While there were no $1 million or $2 million winners in Saturday’s drawing, 23 tickets matched four white balls and the red Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. Six tickets doubled the prize to $100,000 by including the Power Play option for an additional $1. In total, there were more than 1.1 million winning tickets across all prize tiers.
For the drawing on Wednesday, June 5, the Powerball jackpot resets to $40 million; $25.9 million cash value.