The Biggest Lottery Wins in United States History

Stephen Huesgen, 56, of Fraser, Michigan, won in 2026 after matching the five white balls in the April 22 Powerball drawing: 24, 29, 32, 49, and 63. His numbers had a strange origin. About 30 years earlier, he got them from a Zoltar fortune machine in Las Vegas and kept playing them.

Once the email arrived from the Michigan Lottery, Huesgen yelled to his wife, “Is this real?” He said he planned to pay off his mortgage and car, take a vacation, and save the rest for retirement. For a $1 million second-tier prize, that made the win less about instant celebrity and more about finally easing everyday pressure.