Win Powerball, Throw Yourself A Bezos-Sanchez Wedding

We need to make this quick today. Our helicopter is waiting to chopper us to our private airstrip, where we will be flying in our private plane to Venice for this weekend’s wedding between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

OK, fine, we’re lying. We’re taking a limo, not a helicopter, to the airstrip.

OK, fine, we’re not going. No big whoop. Who would want to go anyway? Stupid wedding.

The Amazon founder and his entertainment journalist bride are tying the knot this weekend and, according to Reuters, the whole affair is going to cost $55 million. Add in the $5 million engagement ring, and, let’s call it another $10 million for assorted wedding hoo-ha like dresses, and you’re looking at a $70 million wedding, soup to nuts.

Of course, Bezos is worth at least $226 billion, which means, to him, $70 million is pretty much nothing.

It’s like having $100 and spending three cents. Literally.

Meanwhile, you can throw yourself a Bezos-esque wedding, and all you have to do is win the Powerball drawing Saturday night, where the estimated jackpot is at $155 million with a cash value of $69.8 million. Take the cash option, throw a wedding. Invite George Clooney.

Nobody won Wednesday night’s drawing, the 11th since the last time a winner was crowned. The numbers were 2, 12, 37, 51, 61, and a red Powerball of 22. There were no Match 5 winners.

Lottery Geeks estimates 7.6 million tickets were sold for Wednesday’s drawing.

Mega Millions approaching $350M

Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing will be the 20th since the last jackpot was won, and we are starting to get into some serious dough.

The drawing will be for $348 million after Tuesday’s drawing — numbers 10, 11, 18, 24, 60, and a gold Mega Ball of 20 — came up empty.

Nobody matched all five white balls, either.

Lottery Geeks estimates 6.6 million tickets were sold for Tuesday’s drawing.

Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5, while Powerball tickets cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option for Powerball — which impacts any prize won except the jackpot — for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.

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