Powerball AU$40m jackpot winner unaware of their fortune for two weeks

A man from Canberra, Australia, won a once-in-a-lifetime prize, yet had no idea for almost two weeks. This lucky individual claimed the top prize from a recent Powerball drawing.

A fortunate player decided to try his luck and bought a Powerball ticket at the Thistle Kiosk, located in Shop4A at Westfield Woden on Keltie Street. He participated in Powerball drawing 1571 on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Remarkably, he won as the sole division one winner in that draw. This victory entitles him to a life-changing AU$40 million ($27.8 million) jackpot. Interestingly, the same outlet that sold him the winning ticket has a track record of selling several other jackpot-winning tickets. Rudy Lu, the shop owner, told The Lott that over the past two decades, his shop has sold seven division one winning tickets, which include two Powerball wins and a Set for Life top prize. When I heard there was an unregistered winner in Canberra, I had a feeling we were the ones who sold it, Lu said.

The incredibly lucky Powerball player had no idea he had become ACT’s newest multi-millionaire. It took about two weeks before he realized he had won big, all thanks to a news report about an unclaimed AU$40 million jackpot. Since the division one winning entry wasn’t linked to an account with The Lott, the operator was unable to notify the player of the good news. After seeing the TV report, the player decided to check his ticket and was stunned to discover he had won a once-in-a-lifetime prize. I’m still in shock! I can’t believe it. I only found out a couple of days ago, the winner said in an interview with The Lott's official. I had completely forgotten about my ticket until I saw on the news that they were searching for a winner with an unregistered ticket. I thought, ‘Maybe it’s me!’, he added. The Woden resident had neatly tucked his Powerball ticket in his wallet, unaware he was carrying around a life-changing AU$40 million prize. Still in disbelief, the player shared that he intends to keep working. It’ll be more for my children and grandchildren in the future, the lucky man said, expressing his gratitude to the lottery once again.