Win Powerball, You’ll Probably Have Enough For A Vibranium Shield

Avengers, assemble!

That’s what Captain America famously said, and, despite the Marvel Cinematic Universe turning 17 this year (yes, Iron Man came out in 2008, we’re all old now), Disney is still churning out films in the franchise.

The latest? Captain America: Brave New World, which opened last weekend and pulled in $192 million worldwide, though CinemaScore reviewers gave it a B-, the lowest grade ever for a Marvel movie.

Oh, by the way, Powerball’s estimated jackpot is up to an estimated $195 million for Wednesday’s drawing, making it worth slightly more — at least if taken in 30 annual payments — than Captain America’s opening weekend.

But did you know there’s an even better lottery-MCU connection?

Last summer’s Jackpot!, which came and went on Amazon Prime without so much as a whimper, reunited Awkwafina and Simu Liu, who starred together in the MCU’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

And what’s Jackpot! about? In 2030, the California lottery winner is allowed to be murdered in the first 24 hours of their victory, and the murderer gets to keep the money. It’s a comedy, to be clear.

At any rate, Powerball: Wednesday’s $195 million drawing (with a $90 million cash value) comes on the heels of nobody winning on Monday, the 13th straight draw without a grand-prize winner.

The numbers were 4, 44, 47, 52, 57, and a red Powerball of 9. There were no Match 5 winners.

Lottery Geeks estimates 8.9 million tickets were sold for Monday’s drawing.

A couple of Mega Millions millionaires

The Mega Millions jackpot is a bit smaller than Powerball’s but is up to an estimated $145 million for Tuesday night, with a $66.3 million cash value.

Nobody won last Friday night’s drawing — numbers 11, 19, 31, 49, 56, and a gold Mega Ball of 16 — but two customers matched all five white balls for a million dollars each. Those tickets were sold in California and Pennsylvania.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option — which impacts any prize won except the jackpot — for an additional $1.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California
10. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $571.9 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California