As the Powerball jackpot reached $1.8 billion (an estimated $826.4 million in cash) ahead of the Saturday night drawing on Sept. 6, 2025, past jackpot recipients shared practical warnings and lessons about sudden wealth — from protecting a winning ticket to hiring qualified financial advisers and resisting costly impulses.
Key Takeaways
- Huge jackpots drive ticket sales and risky expectations; the current prize is the second-largest in U.S. history.
- Many winners received their numbers via quick-pick; choice of numbers is largely stylistic.
- Lock down the physical ticket and verify results through official lottery channels before celebrating publicly.
- Engage vetted, experienced financial and legal advisers — avoid people who only claim credentials.
- Limit large emotional spending and keep a tight circle to reduce solicitation and pressure.
- Avoid gambling and other high-risk financial moves after a win; many fortunes have been lost.
- Certain outcomes — including violent crimes or fraud targeting winners — are rare but well documented.
Verified Facts
Powerball’s advertised jackpot reached $1.8 billion with a cash-option estimate of $826.4 million. If the top prize rolls past this drawing, it could challenge existing records for U.S. lottery jackpots.
Winners’ experiences vary. In 1999 in Iowa, Timothy Schultz, who worked at a gas station, discovered he held a $28 million Powerball ticket after searching pockets and matching numbers in a local paper. He now hosts a podcast, “Lottery, Dreams and Fortune,” and notes many winners used quick-pick tickets.
Other winners faced rapid losses. William Post, who won $16.2 million in Pennsylvania in 1988, spent heavily on homes, vehicles and personal projects and had largely exhausted his winnings within a year; his life afterward included legal and personal conflicts reported in subsequent obituaries and profiles.
In Missouri in 2016, Bradley Hahn revealed that after a $10 million win he made large vehicle purchases — immediate depreciation reduced their value — and later limited his social circle to avoid constant requests for money. He also advised winners to avoid gambling after a big win.
Some outcomes were tragic. In Illinois in 2012, Urooj Khan, who had won $1 million on a scratch-off ticket, died after being poisoned with cyanide; police treated the death as a homicide, and no arrests were announced.
By contrast, Judy Dudley of Arkansas, who won $2 million in 2022, kept her ticket safe until she could claim it at the state lottery office, placed most proceeds with a financial adviser and used part of the money for a practical home project.
Context & Impact
Very large jackpots produce a surge in ticket purchases and heightened media attention. That attention brings both legitimate offers of help and opportunists seeking access to winners’ money or personal information.
Financial-advice firms and private managers see increased demand when large prizes appear, but winners and advisers alike warn of unvetted solicitations. Simple steps — secure the physical ticket, consult licensed advisers, and consider a temporary anonymity strategy where state law allows — can reduce immediate risks.
Social dynamics also shift. Winners commonly report an increase in requests from friends, family and strangers; some organize formal plans for giving, set budgets for one-time gifts, or work with counsel to handle solicitations.
At an economic level, single large payouts rarely affect broader markets, but they do spur short-term local spending by winners and increased retail lottery sales leading up to and after drawing nights.
Official Statements
“If you don’t buy a ticket, you can’t win.”
Judy Dudley
Unconfirmed
- The identity and motive of the person(s) responsible in the Urooj Khan poisoning case remain unresolved; no arrests have been reported.
- Public estimates of how much past winners currently hold vary; some winners decline to disclose remaining balances.
- Whether the jackpot will grow beyond $1.8 billion and set a new record depends on ticket sales and subsequent drawings.
Bottom Line
Large lottery wins bring both opportunity and exposure. Proven, simple precautions — secure the ticket, seek qualified financial and legal counsel, set clear boundaries with acquaintances, and avoid impulsive large purchases or further gambling — repeatedly appear in winners’ advice and can materially improve long-term outcomes.