Personal Finance

Hospital worker claims record $758.7 million Powerball. Here's her estimated tax bill

Key Points
  • Mavis L. Wanczyk, a 53-year-old hospital worker from Chicopee, Mass., has claimed the jackpot.
  • The lump sum value is $480.5 million; officials say Wanczyk will take home $336 million after taxes.
Here's the tax bill on that record $758.7 million Powerball
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Here's the tax bill on that record $758.7 million Powerball

A lucky winner in Massachusetts is taking home the $758.7 million Powerball jackpot.

Experts typically advise lottery winners to take their time before claiming the prize, and to stay anonymous if possible. But Mavis L. Wanczyk, a 53-year-old hospital worker from Chicopee, Mass., stepped forward Thursday to claim her prize — the largest individual win in U.S. lottery history.

The winning numbers for Wednesday's drawing were 6, 7, 16, 23 and 26, with a Powerball 4. The jackpot has now reset to $40 million.

Massachusetts woman Mavis L. Wanczyk won the $758,700,000 Powerball.
NBC Boston

The $758.7 million prize was the second largest in the game's history and the second largest in U.S. lottery history. It's also the largest payout ever awarded to a single ticket. (The biggest jackpot, a nearly $1.6 billion Powerball in January 2016, was split among three winners from California, Florida and Tennessee. Each winner received $327.8 million before taxes.)

Of course, Wanczyk won't walk away with the full amount. Lottery officials reported that she opted to take the $480.5 million lump sum. Lottery site USAMega.com estimates the federal tax withholding would be roughly $120.1 million, with Massachusetts state taxes taking $24 million more. Those figures are just the amounts withheld up front; the final tax burden is likely to be even higher.