$1.8 Billion Powerball Winner Identified as Brother of Arkansas Mayor
The winner of the second-largest Powerball jackpot in history has been publicly identified as Tracy Hartwick, who is the younger brother of an Arkansas mayor.
The enormous $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot has found its winner. Recently revealed records show that Tracy Hartwick, younger brother of an Arkansas mayor, claimed the prize. This revelation offers insight into Arkansas’s lottery winner disclosure policies and the scale of this historic jackpot.
What happened
The historic Powerball jackpot, which reached $1.8 billion, was won by Tracy Hartwick. Records obtained from the Arkansas Lottery confirm Hartwick as the recipient of this second-largest jackpot in Powerball history. The winning ticket was purchased in Arkansas, and the claim followed soon after the drawing held on December 24, 2025.
Hartwick bought $30 worth of Powerball plays for the December drawing — the ticket that ultimately matched the winning numbers. After opting for the lump sum payout, he received $834.9 million before taxes. This amount reflects the immediate cash option, rather than the advertised annuitized jackpot total.
Notably, Arkansas lottery law allows anonymity for lottery winners, but this protection does not extend to relatives of elected officials. Because Hartwick is the brother of a sitting Arkansas mayor, his identity became public following the claim.
Why it matters
This jackpot win is significant for several reasons:
- Scale of the prize: At $1.8 billion, this is the second-largest Powerball jackpot ever recorded, placing it among the highest lottery prizes nationwide.
- Transparency and privacy: The case highlights how state-specific rules impact the privacy of lottery winners, especially those connected to public officials. Arkansas is among a few states where the names of lottery winners are public record, with an exception for winners related to elected officials.