A $2 Powerball ticket purchased in Quincy, Illinois, recently turned into a $1.04 billion jackpot, but the winner apparently wants something money cannot always buy: privacy.
According to Powerball, the August 12, 2026, winner claimed the prize in September, chose a lump-sum payment and elected to remain anonymous. That is possible because Illinois allows winners of at least $250,000 to request confidentiality when they claim their prize. Yet lottery winner anonymity is far from universal, and crossing a state line to buy a ticket can completely change what happens if you hit the jackpot.
