Winning Numbers Drawn for Historic $1.7 Billion Christmas Eve Powerball Jackpot

2025-12-25 general

Tallahassee, Thursday, 25 December 2025.
The winning numbers 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, and 19 were drawn. Financial analysis confirms the $781.3 million cash option precludes immediate billionaire status for the winner.

The Mechanics of the Draw

The Christmas Eve drawing, held on Wednesday night, included a Power Play multiplier of 2X [2][8]. This event marks a significant statistical milestone as the 47th consecutive drawing in the current jackpot run, setting a record for the longest cycle without a winner in the game’s history [1][2]. The jackpot has now rolled over repeatedly since the last top prize was claimed on September 6, when tickets in Missouri and Texas split a $1.787 billion pot [1][2].

Analyzing the Payout Structure

The disparity between the advertised annuity jackpot—estimated as high as $1.817 billion—and the immediate cash value is substantial [1]. The cash option of $781.3 million represents a reduction of approximately 1035.7 million from the headline annuity figure [1]. Winners selecting the annuity option would receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual installments, each increasing by 5% to combat inflation [1]. However, historic trends suggest that most winners prefer the liquidity of the lump sum, despite the fact that federal and state taxes will further decrease the final net amount [1][3].

Historical Context and Probabilities

At an estimated $1.7 billion to $1.817 billion, this jackpot ranks as the fourth-largest in both Powerball and U.S. lottery history [1][2]. It trails the record-breaking $2.04 billion prize awarded to a single ticket in California in 2022 [1][2]. The probability of securing the grand prize remains fixed at 1 in 292.2 million, a statistic that has remained constant since the matrix change in 2015 which increased the pool of white balls to 69 while reducing the red balls to 26 [1].

What Comes Next

As of Thursday morning, December 25, it remains unconfirmed whether a winning ticket matching all six numbers has been sold [1]. If no winner is identified from the Wednesday night drawing, the prize pool is scheduled to increase for the next drawing on Saturday, December 27 [7][8]. Tickets for the game are currently available in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands [1].

Sources

Lottery Taxation