Research Scope
This study examined 180 documented Powerball jackpot winners from the lottery's inception in 1992 through 2024. We focused exclusively on jackpot winners (not secondary prizes) to ensure comparable data across cases.
Source Statistics
Each winner's profile is backed by multiple independent sources for verification.
Data Quality Rating
Verified: 60High: 100Medium: 19Low: 1
"Verified" = confirmed via court records or official documents. "High" = multiple news sources agree.
Source Categories
Information was gathered from publicly available sources, organized by reliability tier:
- State Lottery Commissions: Official winner announcements, press releases
- Powerball.com: Official jackpot records and winner confirmations
- Government Records: DOJ press releases, court filings, bankruptcy records
- National Networks: NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, CNN
- Wire Services: Associated Press, Reuters
- Major Papers: New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today
- Local TV Stations: WCVB, News4JAX, Fox5NY, etc.
- Regional Newspapers: Bangor Daily News, Des Moines Register, etc.
- Obituaries: For death verification and family details
- Philanthropy Records: Foundation annual reports, charity filings
Sources by Category
Official Lottery Records
50
Outcome Definitions
We use specific criteria to categorize winner outcomes:
Financial Ruin (2% of winners)
Winner classified as "financial ruin" if news reports document ANY of:
- Bankruptcy filing reported in news media
- Foreclosure or eviction covered by press
- Winner quoted saying they "lost everything"
- Multiple credible sources confirm severe financial distress
Financially Stable (majority)
Winner classified as "stable" if:
- No bankruptcy, foreclosure, or financial distress reported
- Recent coverage shows normal life (business, philanthropy)
- OR no negative financial news after 5+ years post-win
Unknown / Insufficient Data
Winners with no follow-up coverage are excluded from outcome statistics. We only count cases where we have documented evidence.
Important: We can only document what appears in public records and news coverage. A winner not reported as bankrupt doesn't mean they're definitely stable - it means no financial distress was publicly documented.
Data Coverage by Field
Not all data points are available for all winners. Here's our coverage for key metrics:
All percentages use only winners with known data for that specific field.
Verification Process
This research is based entirely on publicly available information.
We did not use proprietary databases, court record subscriptions, or private investigators. All data comes from sources any person could access.
1Official confirmation: Win verified against state lottery press releases or Powerball.com announcements
2Multiple source requirement: Negative outcomes require at least 2 independent news sources
3Recency check: For "current status," we searched for news coverage within 2022-2025
4Contradiction handling: When sources disagreed, we used conservative estimates or marked as "unknown"
Limitations & Biases
This research has significant limitations that readers should understand:
1Press-dependent data: We only know what journalists reported. A winner who quietly went bankrupt without media coverage would appear "stable" in our data.
2Survivorship bias: Winners who "vanished" after claiming (moved away, changed names) are harder to track.
3Media negativity bias: "Winner goes broke" is a better story than "Winner doing fine." Negative outcomes get more coverage.
4Anonymous winners excluded: Some states allow anonymous claims. These winners are not in our dataset.
5Recent winners: Winners from 2020-2024 have limited post-win data. Financial problems often emerge 3-5 years after winning.
6No direct verification: We did not contact winners, their families, or access private records.
Bottom line: This is a press analysis, not a forensic audit. The 2% bankruptcy rate represents "publicly documented financial ruin" - the actual rate could be higher.
Disclaimer
This research is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. We acknowledge:
- • Errors may exist in source materials that we relied upon
- • Some information may be outdated or incomplete
- • Interpretations of "outcomes" involve subjective judgment
CazPoint accepts no liability for any errors, omissions, or conclusions drawn from this data.
Corrections & Updates
If you have corrections, additional information, or are a lottery winner who wishes to update your entry, please contact us through our Press Kit page.