This billion dollar Powerball winner is somewhere in Illinois, holding a ticket worth R19 billion ($1.04 billion), and there’s a real chance the world never finds out who they are.

The winning ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh petrol station in Quincy, Illinois on Wednesday, 12 August after 44 consecutive draws without a winner.

The numbers drawn were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, plus Powerball 9.

It’s the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot in the game’s history, and the winner has up to a year to come forward and claim it.

Why this billion dollar Powerball winner could disappear completely

Illinois law allows any lottery winner claiming a prize over $250 000 to request anonymity.

To do so, they must correctly submit a written claim form asking that officials keep their name and hometown confidential.

If the winner doesn’t submit the form, or fills it out incorrectly, officials can release their details anyway.

Illinois is one of 19 US states offering at least partial anonymity to winners, a stark contrast to states like Florida, where winners’ names become public record.

South Africans actually have it easier

South African winners don’t need to navigate a patchwork of state laws to protect their privacy. 

Sizekhaya, the operator running the National Lottery since 1 June 2026, allows Lotto and PowerBall winners to remain anonymous by default if they choose, no special form or legal loophole required.

It’s one of the reasons South Africa rarely sees the kind of speculation and manhunt-style coverage that follows a jackpot like this one in the US.

What the winner is actually walking away with

The jackpot can be taken as 30 payments over 29 years which increases by 5% each year, or a lump sum of roughly $450.5 million (R8.4 billion) before tax.

Most winners choose the lump sum, and most take weeks to come forward while lawyers, financial advisors and tax planners get everything in place first.

Eish, imagine being this billion dollar Powerball winner and just… not telling anyone yet. That takes a level of patience I don’t think I have.

Click here to view past PowerBall and PowerBall XTRA results and payouts.

Would you want your name made public if you won a jackpot like this, or would you rather stay anonymous like Sizekhaya allows here?

Let us know in the comments below …