Powerball player checks email — and gets life-changing surprise. ‘I was ecstatic’
A Powerball player checked his email — and got a life-changing surprise.
Daryl Steinhoff of North Carolina learned he won $2 million, and he couldn’t wait to spread the word.
“I was ecstatic and in disbelief,” Steinhoff told the N.C. Education Lottery in a Sept. 4 news release. “I called my daughter and girlfriend.”
The winner has a lot to celebrate after playing the Powerball game online. When he tried his luck on the Sept. 1 drawing, he used a set of numbers inspired by his family.
It turns out, his $3 ticket matched all but one number picked in the drawing. Since he spent an extra dollar on the ticket, his prize doubled to $2 million, McClatchy News reported.
Steinhoff scored one of the nation’s top Powerball prizes the night of the drawing. His ticket was one number from hitting the jackpot, which stood at an estimated $1.2 billion.
The lucky winner lives in Clayton, a roughly 15-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh. He kept $1.4 million after taxes and said he hopes to put some of his prize money toward a new home.
For the next Powerball drawing on Sept. 6, the jackpot prize is expected to total $1.8 billion, according to the game’s website.
What to know about Powerball
To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Powerball player checks email — and gets life-changing surprise. ‘I was ecstatic’."
