Powerball has a new billionaire. The winner may never be named.

The Illinois player who hit the $1.04 billion jackpot on Wednesday, Aug. 12, can request anonymity under state law, potentially keeping one of the biggest lottery wins in U.S. history a mystery.

Before collecting the grand prize, the winner must make two life-changing decisions: whether to remain anonymous and whether to take the money all at once. Illinois law gives winners of large lottery prizes the option to keep their identities private, and Powerball rules allow them to choose between an estimated $450.5 million cash payout or the full $1.04 billion jackpot spread over decades.

Here’s what to know about winning Powerball and your privacy.

Here’s what the latest winner must do to stay anonymous

You must explicitly request confidentiality by checking the correct box on the Illinois Lottery Winner Claim Form at the time you claim your prize.

If you forget to check the box or fail to request it when submitting your claim, lottery officials will publicly release your name, home city and the prize amount.

Does anything remain private?

Even if you don’t opt out, the state will not publish your street address or phone number.

When’s the deadline for the winner to claim the jackpot?

The winner must claim the prize by Oct. 11, which is 60 days from the drawing, if they choose the one-time prize worth an estimated cash value of $450.5 million, according to the Illinois Lottery. But if the winner chooses a 30-year annuity, the deadline is a year from the win, meaning Aug. 12, 2027.

What about privacy in other states?

Out of the 45 states or U.S. territories that participate in Powerball, only 10 states allow you to remain fully anonymous no matter how much money you win.

States that allow anonymity after lottery wins:

• Arizona: Can remain anonymous if prize is $100,000 or more, though the person can request to keep their identity confidential.
• Arkansas: Can remain anonymous if prize is $500,000 or more, and a winner stays anonymous only for three years. A winner can also request to keep their identity confidential. Arkansas has another interesting aspect to its law, which was displayed when the Christmas Eve 2025 Powerball winner was revealed to be the younger brother of North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick. An elected official and a close relative of an elected official can remain anonymous only for six months.
• Delaware: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Georgia: Can remain anonymous if prize is over $250,000.
• Illinois: Can remain anonymous if prize is over $250,000.
• Kansas: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Maryland: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Minnesota: Anonymous if prize is over $10,000.
• Mississippi: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Missouri: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Montana: Can remain fully anonymous.
• New Jersey: Can remain fully anonymous.
• North Dakota: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Oregon: Can remain fully anonymous.
• South Carolina: Can remain fully anonymous.
• Texas: Anonymous if prize is $1 million or more.
• Virginia: Can remain fully anonymous.
• West Virginia: Anonymous if prize is $1 million or more.
• Wyoming: Can remain fully anonymous.