"That's Robbery": Billion-Dollar Lottery Winner in the USA Faces Big Decision
- A lucky ticket sold at a Hy-Vee convenience store in Quincy, Illinois, matched all six numbers in the $1.04 billion (R17.64 billion) Powerball jackpot
- The anonymous winner must now choose between a lump sum or instalments spread over decades
- The store manager celebrated putting the small city on the map as Americans online debated which payout option they would take
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A Powerball ticket bought at a small convenience store in Quincy, Illinois, matched all six winning numbers, landing someone a staggering $1.04 billion jackpot. CBS Evening News reported the story on TikTok on 14 August 2026, and the clip quickly set off a massive debate online.
Source: Getty Images
The winning ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh store. John Marshall, who manages the location, could barely contain his excitement.
The winner now has a choice that is keeping the internet busy. They can collect the full billion spread across 30 payments over 29 years, which works out to roughly $34 million (over R500 million) annually. Alternatively, they can walk away today with a lump sum of approximately $450 million (over R7 billion), though taxes will reduce that figure significantly. Illinois state law permits lottery winners to remain anonymous, so the public may never learn who is behind the ticket. Watch the CBS Evening News report here:
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Americans debate billionaire's dilemma
The comment section turned into a full financial debate. Many people weighed in on what they would do:
@MrAboudi said:
"Take the 450 million, cuz tomorrow isn't guaranteed"
@Carl Kekoa Kreations argued:
"$450 million out of 1 billion that's robbery"
@Brian wrote:
"30Ms a year for 29 yearsis an easy decision 😂"
@thefreedommoose1970 offered a strategy:
"Take $450 million. Live off of 50 million and invest the $400 million at 10 per cent compound interest for 29 years, and the total I believe would be over 6 billion. The family would be set forever."
@c2d2 said:
"Dude I would choose the payout over 30 years - it's still 33 mil a year on average"
@Casey442 added:
"If I won, I would change so many people's lives."
@BJAYLEE concluded:
"Smart man staying anonymous 👏🏾👏🏾😭"
Other Briefly News stories about lotto winners
- A Sizekhaya Lotto jackpot saw a fortunate player claim a substantial prize of R20 million after matching the winning numbers drawn on 29 July 2026.
- Siizekhaya announced a decision to honour winning National Lottery tickets issued before June 2026.
- A single player from KwaZulu-Natal achieved a historic win by securing a life-changing cash prize in the PowerBall draw.
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Source: Briefly News
