Nobody matched all six Powerball numbers Monday night and the jackpot rolls to an estimated $770 million for Wednesday August 5, the largest Powerball prize of 2026. The jackpot has been growing since May 2, when tickets in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize. Three months and counting.
The consensus is simple: do nothing fast. "Don't shout your win from the rooftop," said Rob Burnette of Outlook Financial Center. "Keep it quiet. Get organized and make a plan. Consider staying anonymous if it's a possibility." A $748 million win, or $325.1 million lump sum before taxes, draws attention from friends, family, scammers and the IRS simultaneously.
Other key advisor advice: hire a tax attorney before claiming the ticket, not after. Deposit winnings in a brokerage account since the sum exceeds FDIC insurance limits.
Build in a designated "fall guy," an advisor whose job is to tell everyone asking for money that nothing is available. And decide carefully between the lump sum and annuity: the lump sum is roughly 43 percent of the advertised jackpot before federal and state taxes.
Powerball draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets cost $2. Odds of winning: 1 in 292.2 million. Wednesday's drawing is at 10:59 PM Eastern.