California continues to live up to its nickname as the Golden State with another billion-dollar Powerball jackpot winner being revealed. Yanira Alvarez purchased the winning $1.08 billion ticket at Las Palmitas Mini Market in Los Angeles for the July 19, 2023 drawing. Her winning numbers were 7, 10, 11, 13, 24, and the red Powerball 24. This massive win ended a 39-draw jackpot run for Powerball and marked the first of two back-to-back billion-dollar winning tickets sold in California, with Alvarez following in the footsteps of Theodorus “Theo” Struyck.
California state law mandates that jackpot winners be named along with their location, however, Alvarez chose not to make any public comments regarding her win. Before her identity was revealed, the store owners believed the winner was an elderly Latina lady who lived near the store. Las Palmitas Mini Market is a modest store in downtown Los Angeles, owned by Maria Menjiva and her family since 2017.
Alvarez had the option of taking the $1.08 billion jackpot over 30 annual payments or opting for a one-time cash value, which she chose, receiving $558.1 million before federal taxes. The California Lottery Director expressed gratitude to the players for supporting public schools in the state, highlighting the impact of jackpot prizes not only on winners but also on students and teachers.
The $1.08 billion Powerball win claimed by Yanira Alvarez now sits in fourth place on the record list after Theo Struyck hit the jackpot in October with a $1.765 billion payday. Struyck’s winning ticket was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, California, approximately 81 miles away from Las Palmitas Mini Market. The proceeds from the California lottery drawings go towards funding public schools in the state, with last year’s back-to-back jackpot wins resulting in an estimated $197.9 million in additional funding for schools.
Historically, California boasts at least a share of the four largest Powerball jackpot wins. In 2016, three winning tickets in California, Florida, and Texas matched all six numbers to win a $1.586 billion prize, the first to be over $1 billion at the time. The latest Powerball jackpot is estimated at $935 million with a cash value of $452.5 million, with the next drawing scheduled for Saturday evening at 11 p.m. California’s success in producing billion-dollar jackpot winners continues to support its reputation as the Golden State in the world of lottery winnings.
