A Fairfax County resident discovered he had become a millionaire after checking an overnight message from the Virginia Lottery.
VIENNA, Va. — A Vienna resident claimed a $2 million Powerball prize after waking up in the early morning hours to an email from the Virginia Lottery informing him of the win.
The anonymous winner purchased his ticket online for the May 18 Powerball drawing. Around 3:15 a.m., he received notification that he had matched enough numbers to secure the $2 million prize.
“It feels surreal,” the winner told lottery officials when claiming his winnings.
The winning numbers for the May 18 drawing were 4, 13, 34, 61 and 65, with Powerball 12. The Fairfax County man used Easy Pick, allowing the lottery system to randomly generate his numbers.
Virginia law allows lottery winners of $1 million or more to remain anonymous, and the Virginia Lottery does not publicly identify those winners.
The winner said he plans to use the money to pay off his mortgage, invest a portion of the prize and help family members.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. The odds of winning the jackpot by matching all six numbers are 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25.
Virginia Lottery proceeds support K-12 education across the state. Fairfax County received more than $56 million in lottery funding for schools during the last fiscal year. Statewide, the lottery generated more than $901 million for K-12 education in Fiscal Year 2025.
Key Points
- Vienna resident won a $2 million Powerball prize from the May 18 drawing.
- The winner learned of the prize through a Virginia Lottery email around 3:15 a.m.
- He plans to pay off his mortgage, invest and help family members.
