The identity of the sole winner of December's $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot has been made public by Arkansas lottery records, ending a six-month period of anonymity required by state law. Tracy L. Hartwick of Cabot, Arkansas, is the winner, according to records first obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and confirmed by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

Hartwick is the younger brother of Terry Hartwick, who is currently serving his third term as mayor of North Little Rock, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Lottery Post.

What ticket did the winner buy?

Tracy Hartwick purchased a $30 Quick Play ticket with the Power Play option at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, a city of roughly 27,000 people about 30 miles northeast of Little Rock, according to lottery records. He played 10 different number combinations, and his first selection, 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and Powerball 19, matched all six numbers drawn on Christmas Eve, 2025.

What were the winning numbers for the December 24 drawing?

The winning numbers were 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with Powerball 19, according to Powerball.

How large was the prize, and did he take the cash option?

Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot to $1.817 billion, making it the second-largest prize in Powerball history, according to Powerball officials. Hartwick came forward on January 5, 2026, and chose the one-time lump-sum payment of $834,942,287 before taxes, rather than the 30-year annuity that totals $1.817 billion, according to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

The annuity option would have paid the full $1.817 billion over 29 annual installments of increasing value. The cash value Hartwick received, $834.9 million, is subject to a mandatory 24 percent federal withholding plus additional federal and state income taxes. For a detailed breakdown of what lottery jackpots actually pay after taxes, see our 2026 lottery tax guide.

Why was his identity kept secret, and why was it released now?

Arkansas law generally allows lottery winners claiming prizes of $500,000 or more to remain anonymous for up to three years. However, an exception under Act 889 of 2021 limits that confidentiality period to six months for elected officials and their close relatives, including siblings. Because Tracy Hartwick is the brother of a sitting mayor, his six-month window expired in early July 2026, after which the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery was required to release the records, according to documents provided to news outlets including THV11.

This case illustrates why winner-anonymity rules vary so significantly by state, and why checking your own state's law matters before claiming a large prize. Our guide to what to do in the first 72 hours after a lottery win covers anonymity options in detail.

Is Arkansas unusual in limiting anonymity for public officials' families?

Arkansas is one of about 19 states that allow winners to keep their identities private under at least some circumstances, according to reporting from USA Today. The Arkansas carve-out for elected officials and their close relatives is relatively rare nationally, and the Hartwick case illustrates a key principle: anonymity protections in any state can include exceptions that are not obvious until you read the fine print of the relevant statute.

What is the current Powerball jackpot?

There is a Powerball drawing tonight, Monday, July 27, 2026, with an estimated jackpot of $633 million and a cash option of approximately $277.3 million before taxes, according to the Louisiana Lottery and the Virginia Lottery. The drawing is at 10:59 p.m. ET (9:59 p.m. CT, 8:59 p.m. MT, 7:59 p.m. PT). Ticket sales cut off roughly one hour before the drawing, though exact cutoff times vary by state. Check your numbers at WonYet Powerball results after the draw.

What about Mega Millions?

The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $800 million ahead of the Tuesday, July 28, 2026, drawing, according to ABC10 and the Texas Lottery. The cash option for Tuesday's drawing is approximately $344.2 million before taxes. The drawing is at 11 p.m. ET (10 p.m. CT, 9 p.m. MT, 8 p.m. PT). See our lottery draw calendar for all upcoming draw dates.

What are the odds of winning Powerball?

The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25, according to Powerball. The odds of winning the jackpot specifically are 1 in 292,201,338. For a plain-language explanation of what lottery odds actually mean, see our lottery odds guide.

Sources: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Lottery Post · Moneywise · San Angelo Live / THV11 · ABC10 · Texas Lottery (Mega Millions estimate)

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