The Powerball jackpot has surged to $1.1 billion, a life‑changing sum that can turn a $3 ticket into generational wealth. The catch is that the math behind that dream is unforgiving, and the odds of hitting all six numbers are far worse than most players intuitively grasp.

ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke with Davidson College professor Tim Chartier who says you're 20,000 times more likely to get hit by lightning than win Wednesday’s $1.7B Powerball jackpot.

Saturday night’s estimated Powerball jackpot is $1.5 billion. Math would suggest there is a very good chance we’ll see another carryover into Monday. Players choose five white balls from a set of 69 numbers.

So far, it’s the 5th-largest jackpot in U.S. history after more than three months without a Powerball winner. The game’s long odds created a massive windfall that has enticed people to splurge on $2 tickets ahead of the live drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET Monday night.

Point: The Powerball lottery prize is past $1 billion. Counterpoint: Powerball players will probably lose close to $700 million, collectively, by playing. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › At an estimated jackpot value of $1.4 ...

Andrew Kessel was a breaking news writer for Investopedia until October 2025. He previously covered markets for Proactive Investors, with a focus on small-cap stocks in fintech, healthcare, mining, and other sectors. Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images The ...

Talk of Powerball is heating up nationwide as Saturday’s draw edges toward a staggering $1.8 billion, making it the second-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. The record jackpot was $2.04 billion, won on Nov. 7, 2022, according to Powerball.

Our Powerball tracker and generator helps you pick unique numbers for your next lottery ticket and find the latest winning numbers and jackpot.