The manager of the store that sold the $1.04 billion ticket bought a Powerball ticket too but says he's not the winner
The store that sold the $1.04 billion Powerball ticket is having a new experience with all the media attention, and its manager had the most relatable reaction possible: he went and checked his own ticket.
Jon Marshall, manager of the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 310 N. 36th Street in Quincy, Illinois, got a call around 3 a.m. on Thursday from a manager at another Fast & Fresh telling him that his store had sold the Powerball winner. He confirmed it on the Illinois Lottery site, then remembered he had bought a Powerball ticket too. "I then went to the kitchen to grab my ticket," he told lottery officials, adding with a laugh, "sadly, it wasn't me."
He is not the only one wondering. Marshall told WGEM-TV that his regulars keep coming in to rule themselves out. "All my regulars are coming in saying 'Not me, not me, not me,'" he said, joking that the store is "just sort of narrowing down who we haven't seen yet." Because Illinois lets winners of more than $250,000 stay anonymous, the town may never find out who won.
The store does not leave empty-handed though, Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh will collect a $500,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. "I always tell my customers that it would be great to put Quincy on the map by winning a lottery ticket from our store, and sure enough, somebody did it," Marshall said. "I hope it's someone from Quincy. The winner will now be the richest person in town."
The jackpot was the eighth largest in Powerball history and the second largest ever won in Illinois. Whoever holds the ticket can take the $450.5 million cash option or the full amount as annuity payments, a choice we break down in what a billion-dollar winner actually keeps, and has one year to come forward. The same Wednesday drawing also produced one $100,000 winner and three $50,000 winners in Illinois.
Sources
Illinois Lottery: Quincy retailer reacts to selling $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot-winning ticket
PEOPLE: Manager of store that sold $1 billion Powerball ticket says he isn't the winner
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which store sold the $1.04 billion Powerball ticket?
The Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 310 N. 36th Street in Quincy, Illinois. The store earns a $500,000 retailer bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket from the August 12, 2026 drawing.
Did the store manager win the Powerball jackpot?
No. Manager Jon Marshall had bought a Powerball ticket himself and checked it after learning his store sold the winner. "Sadly, it wasn't me," he said. He says his regular customers are all insisting it was not them either.
How much does a store get for selling a winning Powerball ticket?
It varies by state. In Illinois, the retailer that sells a jackpot-winning ticket receives a $500,000 bonus, which is separate from the prize the winner collects.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
