See which states are the luckiest in the lottery
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes shares which states have claimed the most Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots wins.
What could you buy with a billion dollars?
That thought must have crossed the mind of the gas station customer who purchased a winning Powerball ticket in Quincy, Illinois, on Aug. 12, and who can now claim a $1 billion jackpot.
Before we start finding ways for the winner to spend their money, we should note that the actual Powerball payout will fall far short of 10 figures after taxes, especially if the ticketholder chooses to take the winnings in a lump sum.
But enough accountant talk. Let’s dream big. Here are a few things you could buy with $1 billion:
148.8 million Big Macs, based on a per-Mac price of $6.72.
66.8 million copies of ‘Theo of Golden: A Novel,” the best-selling book on Amazon at this writing, based on a discounted paperback price of $14.98.
20 million L.L.Bean tote bags, based on a per-tote price of $49.95.
14.3 million Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers, based on a posted Amazon price of $69.95.
1.25 million iPhone 17 cellphones, based on a per-phone price of $799.
14,305 pounds of gold, based on a per-ounce price of $4,369.
14,288 Tesla Cybertrucks, based on a starting price of $69,990.
2,511 new American homes, based on a median June sales price of $398,300.
1,313 shares of Berkshire Hathaway Class A stock, based on a per-share price of $761,504.
2 Air Force Ones, with money left over, based on the quoted value of $400 million for the new plane gifted to President Donald Trump by Quatar.
8% of the Los Angeles Lakers, based on the team’s recent sale price of $12.5 billion.