A Texas trust has claimed half of the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, receiving more than $410 million before taxes from a September Powerball drawing.
By selecting the cash value option at purchase, the Texas winner received $410,324,470.28 before taxes, which represents the largest single prize ever awarded to a Texas Lottery player.
The winning ticket, featuring player-selected numbers 11-23-44-61-62 and Powerball 17, was purchased at Big's 103 on East U.S. Highway 290 in Fredericksburg. The retailer collected a $250,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
A trust representative said that they typically rely on random number selection, but for this drawing they chose meaningful numbers. After buying the ticket, however, they found one selected number differed from their intended choice.
The winner learned of the jackpot while driving to church the morning following the drawing. After checking the ticket and confirming the win multiple times while on the road, they tucked it away in their vehicle's glovebox before heading inside.
"We are Texas true to the state and its values," the trust representative said in a statement provided through legal counsel. "We believe in family, in faith, and in the blessings that come through both. This is a moment of gratitude for us, a blessing we plan to enjoy and share with those who are special to us and who serve our community."
The September jackpot began at $20 million on June 2 and continued for 42 drawings, establishing a record for Powerball's longest jackpot run before being claimed.
The latest win represents Texas's third Powerball jackpot winner since joining the multi-state game in 2010. The previous Texas winner, an Austin resident, claimed a portion of a $564.1 million prize in February 2015.
The Missouri winner said he plans to take extended time off work.
"I'm going to just do me for a year," he said, adding that his wife also intends to reduce her workload.
He said the change felt surreal.
"I'm a millionaire, a multi-millionaire, and I'm doing laundry last night," he said.
Missouri Powerball sales during the 42-drawing run generated approximately $16.9 million for state public education, while Missouri retailers earned $2.5 million in commissions.
"We're excited to celebrate this milestone with the claimant of the largest jackpot prize in Texas Lottery history," said Courtney Arbour, executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees the Texas Lottery.
Since its 1992 launch, the Texas Lottery has generated more than $41.5 billion in state revenue and contributed over $35.5 billion to Texas public education through the Foundation School Fund.