$70 million Powerball jackpot won by single ticket in Michigan

The winner has one year from the draw date to claim their prize. Current Michigan lottery laws give winners of $10,000 or more the option to remain anonymous, but that doesn't apply to prizes from multi-state games, including Powerball. Therefore, the winner's name and city will be made public when they claim.

A bill proposing that multi-state lottery winners should also be able to stay anonymous is currently under consideration by lawmakers in Lansing, although similar legislation failed in 2015 and 2018.

The winner will have a choice between receiving the full $70 million spread out as yearly annuity payments, or a one-time lump sum payment of $49,786,628.73 before taxes.

Store That Sold Winning Ticket Will Get $50,000 Bonus

There was a buzz at the Huron Plaza Party Store, located at 694 West Huron Street near Telegraph Road and M-59 in Pontiac. Customers reacted with excitement when they learned that the winning ticket was sold there. "This is the winner's store? Oh my God!" one woman exclaimed. "I may have missed it, but congratulations to the winner!"

The store will receive a $50,000 retailer bonus for selling the winning ticket - but only if the winner claims the prize. The owner, Yousef Antoo, already knows what he wants to do with the money: "I got a few ideas to improve my store, my church, and the rest give to my employees and the rest to pocket it, you know," he said. "I have to pay taxes on it, you know, so I don't get all of it, but I'm really happy for the winner."

"I've been in the liquor business for 29 years, and this is my first encounter with a lucky lottery winner, so I'm excited," he said with a smile.

More Big Powerball Winners

The second-largest winner of the night was a ticket sold in Missouri that's worth $1 million. It matched the five white balls but missed the Powerball, winning the game's second tier "Match 5" prize.

Michigan also had two third prize "Match 4" winners in the February 12 draw. The tickets sold in metro Detroit each won $50,000 by matching four of the five white balls plus the Powerball. One of the tickets was sold at Car Donnas Marathon in Sterling Heights, and the other at Maria's Market Place in Canton.

There were nine $50,000 winners across the country on Wednesday, although one of those tickets is actually worth $100,000 because the Power Play option was added when the ticket was purchased. Power Play is a number selected in each draw that multiplies non-jackpot prizes, and on Wednesday it was 2X.

Wednesday's draw was the second time the Powerball jackpot went off in 2020. On January 29, a ticket sold in Bonita Springs, Florida won the $396.9 million top prize.

Michigan has had five Powerball jackpot winners since it joined the game on January 31, 2010.

Less than five months ago, Phillip Chippewa of Suttons Bay won $80 million in the September 21, 2019 drawing. He chose the cash option of $55.3 million (about $42 million after tax withholdings).

Donald Lawson of Lapeer is the state's biggest-ever lottery winner. He hit the $337 million Powerball jackpot on August 15, 2012. He also took the lump sum payment, which was $226.4 million before taxes.

The latest Powerball win came just one day after a single ticket sold in Edison, New Jersey won the $202 million Mega Millions jackpot.

Neither jackpot winner has come forward yet to claim their prize.

There were a total of 431,049 winners in Wednesday's draw, of which 13,305 were in Michigan, so make sure to check your numbers and see if you've won a prize.

Another reason to check those tickets: there are currently three unclaimed $50,000 Powerball prizes in Michigan that expire between May 25 and June 8, 2020.