Small Florida city wonders Powerball winner’s identity

Historic $590.5M winner hasn't come forward

Satellite trucks line the parking lot outside the store where the highest Powerball jackpot ticket was sold.

ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Some lucky person went into a Publix supermarket in suburban Florida over the last few days and bought a ticket now worth an estimated $590.5 million — the highest Powerball jackpot in history.

But it wasn’t Matthew Bogel. On Sunday, he loaded groceries into his car. He shook his head when asked about the jackpot.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” he said. “That’s so much money.”

It’s an amount too high for many to imagine.

Compare it to the budget for the city of Zephyrhills: This year’s figure is just more than $49 million. The winning Powerball jackpot is 12 times that amount.

Whoever has the ticket has not come forward yet.

“This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it’s the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot,” Florida Lottery executive Cindy O’Connell said. “We’re delighted right now that we have the sole winner.”

Ms. O’Connell said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state.

The winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22, and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at about $600 million. But Powerball’s online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

The world’s largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March, 2012.

The Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.