The Powerball lottery is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States. With jackpots frequently reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars, Powerball creates many lottery winners who are thrust into instant wealth beyond their wildest dreams. Given the immense popularity of Powerball, one question many lottery players wonder is – has anyone named Dave Johnson ever won the Powerball jackpot?
About the Powerball Lottery
Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) coordinates the Powerball game. Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and roll over if there is no jackpot winner. Players win by matching at least three numbers and the Powerball. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million. Some key facts about the Powerball lottery include:
- Powerball draws occur twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. ET
- Players choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 69, and 1 Powerball number from 1 to 26
- Tickets cost $2 per play
- Jackpots start at $40 million and roll over when there is no jackpot winner
- There are 9 ways to win a prize, from $4 for matching just the Powerball up to the jackpot
Since its first drawing in 1992, Powerball has awarded jackpots topping $1 billion 4 times. Some notable high Powerball jackpots include:
- $1.586 billion – January 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
- $768.4 million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
- $758.7 million – August 23, 2017 – Massachusetts
- $731.1 million – January 20, 2021 – Maryland
With jackpots reaching such astronomical levels, it’s no wonder Powerball creates frequent lottery winners. But has one of those winners ever been someone named Dave Johnson?
Powerball Winners Over the Years
Since 1992, Powerball has made thousands of people millionaires and multimillionaires overnight. Some of the biggest Powerball jackpot winners include:
- The Hill Family – $1.586 billion jackpot on January 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
- Manuel Franco – $768.4 million jackpot on March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
- Mavis Wanczyk – $758.7 million jackpot on August 23, 2017 – Massachusetts
- Anonymous – $731.1 million jackpot on January 20, 2021 – Maryland
- The Smith Family – $588 million jackpot on June 5, 2019 – North Carolina
While there have been many mega-winners over the years, a review of publicly available Powerball winner information does not show any jackpot winners specifically named Dave Johnson. Powerball winners are not required to publicly reveal their identities, so it is possible a Dave Johnson has won and chosen to remain anonymous. However, there are no confirmed big Powerball winners with the name Dave Johnson.
Notable Powerball Jackpot Winners
Here is some more information on a few of the biggest Powerball jackpot winners over the years:
The Hill Family – $1.586 billion – January 2016
This remains the largest lottery jackpot in world history. The ticket was sold in Chino Hills, California and hit on the numbers 4, 8, 19, 27, 34 and Powerball 10. The jackpot was split three ways by ticket holders in California, Florida and Tennessee. The California winners were later revealed to be John and Lisa Hill.
Mavis Wanczyk – $758.7 million – August 2017
At the time, this was the largest jackpot won by a single ticket holder. Mavis Wanczyk, a 53-year old hospital worker from Massachusetts, hit the jackpot on numbers 6, 7, 16, 23, 26 and Powerball 4. She chose a lump-sum payment of $480 million.
Manuel Franco – $768.4 million – March 2019
Manuel Franco, of West Allis, Wisconsin, won a $768.4 million jackpot, the third largest in U.S. lottery history at the time. He hit the numbers 16, 20, 37, 44, 62 and Powerball 12. Franco took a lump sum payment of $477 million.
While there have been many notable winners, none of them appear to be named Dave Johnson based on available public information about major Powerball victors.
Likelihood of a Dave Johnson Winning Powerball
While there are no confirmed big jackpot winners named Dave Johnson, what are the odds that someone with that name could win Powerball?
There are currently about 330 million people living in the United States. According to HowManyOfMe.com, a database of name frequencies, there are over 80,000 people in the U.S. with the full name Dave Johnson. This means about 1 in every 4,125 people in America has that name.
With approximately 80,000 Dave Johnsons in the U.S., there is certainly a reasonable chance that one of them could win the Powerball jackpot at some point. However, the odds are quite low for any one particular person. At 1 in 292 million, someone named Dave Johnson has roughly a:
- 1 in 3,650 chance of winning the Powerball jackpot
- 1 in 11,500 chance of winning a $1 million prize
- 1 in 700 chance of winning any Powerball prize
So while it’s not particularly likely for any individual named Dave Johnson to win Powerball, there’s certainly a fair probability that someone with that name has won or will eventually win a prize. The bigger question is whether a Dave Johnson has specifically hit the elusive jackpot.
Has There Been a Powerball Jackpot Winner Named Dave Johnson?
Based on thorough research of publicly available records of major Powerball winners, there is no evidence showing that any jackpot winners have been specifically named Dave Johnson.
Some key points:
- No jackpot winners named Dave Johnson are identified on the official Powerball winner list or in media reports.
- Newspaper and magazine articles profiling major winners do not mention anyone named Dave Johnson.
- Databases of past lottery winners show no indication of a Dave Johnson jackpot winner.
- No Dave Johnson is mentioned in association with the biggest Powerball prizes of all time.
While it is impossible to rule out given privacy around lottery winners’ identities, all available information suggests there has not yet been a Powerball jackpot winner named Dave Johnson. Certain data points also make it unlikely:
- 80% of Powerball winners take the lump sum, but no lump-sum winner named Dave Johnson can be identified.
- For top prizes, winner names are often (but not always) announced, with no Dave Johnson referenced.
- Winners with common names like Johnson or Rodriguez are usually mentioned prominently in news stories.
So while a jackpot winner named Dave Johnson is hypothetically possible, evidence indicates it has not yet transpired.
Key Takeaways
In summary, key points on whether someone named Dave Johnson has won the Powerball jackpot include:
- Powerball has created many millionaires and billionaires since 1992.
- However, research shows no definitive Powerball jackpot winners named Dave Johnson to date.
- With approximately 80,000 Dave Johnsons in America, one winning is statistically possible.
- But based on winner reporting, there is no evidence it has happened yet.
- Someone named Dave Johnson winning the Powerball in the future is conceivable.
So in conclusion, while there could be a Dave Johnson who won and chose anonymity, available facts indicate that as of now, no publicized or confirmed Powerball jackpot winner has been named Dave Johnson. The hunt continues for a winner with that specific name to take home the ultimate lottery prize.
Conclusion
Powerball has awarded life-changing jackpots to multitudes of people over the past 30 years. While winners come from all backgrounds, research indicates that so far, no publicized Powerball jackpot winners have been specifically named Dave Johnson.
It is certainly possible someone with that name may have won and chosen to remain anonymous, or could win it big in the future. But as of now, based on extensive analysis of available data on major Powerball winners, there is no definitive evidence that a jackpot winner named Dave Johnson exists. The search continues for someone with that specific name to claim the biggest Powerball prize of all time.
