Theodorus Struyck and group · California · Powerball · 2023. Official member count not disclosed.
LOTTERY POOL RECORDS AT A GLANCE
The record depends on what you mean by “lottery pool”
A shared family ticket, a formal lottery club and an office pool are all group wins, but they are not the same thing. Keeping those categories separate prevents misleading “biggest ever” claims.
The Breakfast Club · 3 members · Michigan · Powerball · 2024.
Santa Clara County office pool · 11 coworkers · California · Mega Millions · 2018.
US Tool employees · Missouri · $1M Powerball prize · 2017. A non-jackpot special record.
HOW WE BUILT THE LOTTERY POOL WINNER DATABASE
A trust name alone is not proof of a lottery pool
The original version of this page mixed giant jackpots with small recent prizes and treated the $543 million California office pool as the headline record. The evidence now supports a cleaner source-led method.
Official group evidence required
A lottery, Powerball or Mega Millions source must identify multiple winners, a pool, club, family group or coworkers. An LLC or trust name by itself is not enough.
Advertised jackpot drives the ranking
The leaderboard uses the advertised annuity jackpot because it is the most consistent headline value across official historical records.
Cash value shown separately
Where an official source provides a cash option, we show it in a separate column. A cash figure should never be silently treated as the advertised jackpot.
Curated, not claimed exhaustive
Winner disclosure varies by state and era. Anonymous claims and legal entities can hide the underlying ownership structure, so this page does not claim every group winner in U.S. history.
Important example: some enormous jackpots were claimed through trusts or LLCs, but that does not prove multiple people jointly owned the ticket. Those entries are excluded unless an official source establishes the group relationship.
BIGGEST VERIFIED U.S. LOTTERY POOL & GROUP WINS
Interactive Powerball and Mega Millions group-winner leaderboard
Search, filter and sort the curated dataset. “Advertised” is the headline annuity jackpot. Cash values are shown separately and may be unavailable or unsuitable for equal-split comparison.
16 verified cases
| # | Group | Game | Draw / state | Members | Jackpot | Cash value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theodorus Struyck and groupShared group | Powerball | 11 Oct 2023California | Not disclosed | $1.765Badvertised | $774.1MCash | Official source |
| 2 | The Breakfast ClubLottery club | Powerball | 1 Jan 2024Michigan | 3 | $842.4Madvertised | $425.2MCash | Official source |
| 3 | Santa Clara County office poolWorkplace | Mega Millions | 24 Jul 2018California | 11 | $543.0Madvertised | $320.5MCash | Official source |
| 4 | New Life 2019, LLCWorkplace | Mega Millions | 1 Jan 2019New York | 23 | $437.0Madvertised | $262.2MCash | Official source |
| 5 | Smith Family Lottery PoolFamily | Powerball | 7 May 2016New Jersey | 8 | $429.6Madvertised | $284.1MCash | Official source |
| 6 | Tennessee 20Workplace | Powerball | 26 Nov 2016Tennessee | 20 | $420.9Madvertised | $254.7MCash | Official source |
| 7 | ConAgra Food WorkersWorkplace | Powerball | 18 Feb 2006Nebraska | 8 | $365.0Madvertised | $177.3MCash | Official source |
| 8 | The Albany 7Workplace | Mega Millions | 25 Mar 2011New York | 7 | $319.0Madvertised | —Not listed here | Official source |
| 9 | Monongalia County Tax Office 8Workplace | Powerball | 15 Mar 2008West Virginia | 8 | $276.3Madvertised | $139.4MCash | Official source |
| 10 | The Shipping 20Workplace | Powerball | 13 Jun 2012Iowa | 20 | $241.0Madvertised | $160.3MCash | Official source |
| 11 | Missouri Lucky 13Workplace | Powerball | 12 Apr 2006Missouri | 13 | $224.2Madvertised | $102.9MMixed | Official source |
| 12 | 33 Co-Workers from SeafordWorkplace | Powerball | 9 Oct 2004Delaware | 33 | $214.7Madvertised | $116.9MCash | Official source |
| 13 | 100 MiraclesWorkplace | Powerball | 5 Aug 2006Wisconsin | 100 | $208.6Madvertised | $95.8MMixed | Official source |
| 14 | SEPTA 48Workplace | Powerball | 25 Apr 2012Pennsylvania | 48 shares | $172.7Madvertised | $107.5MCash | Official source |
| 15 | Five NY/NJ friendsFriends | Mega Millions | 11 Sep 2015New York / New Jersey | 5 | $106.0Madvertised | —Cash | Official source |
| 16 | Lucky 16 TrustWorkplace | Mega Millions | 24 Mar 2015New York | 16 | $58.0Madvertised | $38.3MCash | Official source |
THE BIGGEST LOTTERY POOL WINNER STORIES
Eight group wins that changed the record book
The numbers are remarkable, but the group structure behind each win is what makes these cases useful.
Theodorus Struyck and group
$1.765BCalifornia Lottery says Struyck represented the group that bought the winning Powerball ticket for the 11 October 2023 drawing. Powerball records a $774.1 million cash value. The official release did not publish the group size.
Official Powerball source →The Breakfast Club
$842.4MThree members won Michigan's record Powerball jackpot on 1 January 2024. Michigan Lottery says the club chose the roughly $425 million one-time payment.
Official Michigan Lottery source →Santa Clara County office pool
$543MEleven coworkers in California's financial industry decided to play together on a whim. Their Mega Millions ticket won the 24 July 2018 jackpot; the official cash option was $320.5 million.
Official Mega Millions source →New Life 2019, LLC
$437MTwenty-three Long Island-area coworkers had a simple routine: each put $1 into an envelope every week. They won the New Year's Day 2019 Mega Millions jackpot and chose $262,213,914 in cash.
Official Mega Millions source →Smith Family Lottery Pool
$429.6MSeven adult siblings and their mother won New Jersey's 7 May 2016 Powerball jackpot. Powerball records a cash value of $284,097,219.71.
Official New Jersey Lottery source →Tennessee 20
$420.9MTwenty longtime coworkers at North American Stamping had played together for years before winning Powerball on 26 November 2016. They selected the $254.7 million cash value.
Official Tennessee Lottery source →ConAgra Food Workers
$365MEight coworkers at a Nebraska ConAgra plant won in February 2006. Nebraska Lottery says they took $177.3 million cash, with equal pre-tax shares of $22,162,500.
Official Nebraska Lottery source →The Albany 7
$319MSeven New York State employees from the Capital Region shared the Mega Millions jackpot from 25 March 2011. New York's official winner records identify all seven.
Official New York State source → BIGGEST OFFICE LOTTERY POOL WINS
The Santa Clara $543 million jackpot leads the workplace cases in this dataset
When the question is specifically “biggest office lottery pool win,” the shared family and club claims should be removed from the comparison.
| Workplace pool | Members | Game | Year | Advertised jackpot | Cash value / claim note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County office pool | 11 | Mega Millions | 2018 | $543M | $320.5M cash option |
| New Life 2019, LLC | 23 | Mega Millions | 2019 | $437M | $262.214M cash |
| Tennessee 20 | 20 | Powerball | 2016 | $420.9M | $254.652M cash |
| ConAgra Food Workers | 8 | Powerball | 2006 | $365M | $177.271M cash |
| The Albany 7 | 7 | Mega Millions | 2011 | $319M | Cash figure not used here |
| Monongalia County Tax Office 8 | 8 | Powerball | 2008 | $276.3M | $139.422M cash |
| The Shipping 20 | 20 | Powerball | 2012 | $241M | $160.334M cash |
| Missouri Lucky 13 | 13 | Powerball | 2006 | $224.2M | Powerball records mixed payout options |
| 33 Co-Workers from Seaford | 33 | Powerball | 2004 | $214.7M | $116.9M cash before withholding |
| 100 Miracles | 100 | Powerball | 2006 | $208.6M | Powerball records mixed payout options |
| SEPTA 48 | 48 shares | Powerball | 2012 | $172.7M | $107.533M cash |
ADVERTISED JACKPOT VS CASH OPTION
A $500 million headline does not mean $500 million was divided in cash
This is one of the biggest sources of confusion in historical winner lists.
Advertised jackpot
For U.S. Powerball jackpots, the headline value is the annuity: 30 increasing payments over 29 years.
Cash option
The one-time lump sum is lower than the advertised annuity value. Powerball's official archive lists both for historical jackpot winners.
Taxes come after that
Official cash values are generally shown before applicable federal and jurisdictional taxes unless the source explicitly states a net amount.
Mixed claims need extra care
Powerball records some older group winners, including 100 Miracles and Missouri Lucky 13, as “Mixed.” A simple cash-value ÷ member-count calculation would misrepresent those claims.
FAMOUS LOTTERY POOL SPLIT EXPLORER
What would an equal share of the official cash value look like?
Select a case with a disclosed member count and straightforward cash claim. The result is an arithmetic illustration before taxes, not a statement of what each winner actually received.
Equal-share illustrationUses official cash values where available. It does not infer private agreements, unequal shares or final tax bills.
LOTTERY POOL RECORDS BEYOND THE JACKPOT
Some of the most useful pool stories are not the biggest jackpots
Member count and group process can tell us more about running a pool than raw jackpot size.
US Tool Group employees in Missouri won Powerball on 23 December 2017. The organizer collected $2 per drawing, made ticket copies and checked results. Each winner received about $6,024 before taxes.
Sargento says 100 production employees formed the “100 Miracles.” Almost all continued working after the 2006 Wisconsin Powerball jackpot.
The SEPTA 48 chose the cash option. Pennsylvania Lottery reported $2,240,276.63 for each of 48 shares before federal withholding.
The Lucky 16 required whoever bought the ticket to send copies to everyone — an unusually clear example of documented pre-draw transparency.
Source examples: Powerball — US Tool 166, Sargento — 100 Miracles, and Mega Millions — Lucky 16.
RECENT LOTTERY POOL WINS: 2025–2026
Office-pool wins are still happening now
The modern examples are smaller than the record jackpots, but they keep this page current and show how group play works in practice.
Three long-time Kokomo coworkers and friends won a $2 million prize after a larger office pool had gradually narrowed to the trio.
Mega Millions winner story →The Avantor Performance Materials pool had existed for about four years. Power Play increased the underlying $50,000 prize to $200,000.
Official Powerball story →TG Kentucky workers pooled money when the jackpot reached $800 million and won a $50,000 lower-tier prize.
Official Powerball story →Barton 1792 Distillery workers had paid into a weekly pool for over a year. Kentucky Lottery paid individual prizes after the group claim.
Official Powerball story → FAMOUS LOTTERY SYNDICATE WINS OUTSIDE THE U.S.
Ireland shows how large syndicate wins compare internationally
“Lottery pool” is common U.S. terminology; “syndicate” is more common in Ireland and the UK. These examples are kept outside the dollar leaderboard because currencies and game structures are different.
A family syndicate claimed Ireland's record EuroMillions jackpot from the 17 June 2025 draw. The National Lottery called it the largest cheque ever seen in its Winners Room.
The Naul Family Syndicate won a EuroMillions jackpot in February 2019.
A Dublin work syndicate claimed the EuroMillions jackpot in January 2017.
Twenty-two Dublin Bus colleagues shared a EuroMillions jackpot in July 2016.
WHAT FAMOUS LOTTERY POOLS DID BEFORE THEY WON
The recurring lesson is documentation, not a secret number system
These winner stories do not reveal a way to beat lottery odds. They do show repeatable administrative habits that reduce confusion when a group ticket wins.
They knew who was participating
Large groups only work when the participating members and contributions can be identified for the relevant draw.
They had a known buyer or organizer
US Tool's organizer collected contributions, bought tickets, made copies and checked results. Other large groups used similarly established routines.
Some shared copies before results
The Lucky 16 explicitly required the buyer to send copies to every member. That is evidence of which ticket belonged to the group before anyone knew it had won.
They kept the group separate from the prize headline
The jackpot is only the starting number. A group still has to choose or follow payout procedures, establish shares, handle tax reporting and secure the original ticket.
BIGGEST LOTTERY POOL WINS FAQ
Questions about famous lottery pools and group winners
What is the biggest verified lottery pool win in this dataset?
The largest officially confirmed shared-ticket group in this curated U.S. dataset is the $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot won in California on October 11, 2023. California Lottery said Theodorus Struyck represented the group of winners who bought the ticket, but the official release did not disclose the group's size.
What is the biggest documented office lottery pool win?
Among the clearly documented workplace pools in this official-source dataset, the largest advertised jackpot is the $543 million Mega Millions jackpot won by an 11-member Santa Clara County office pool on July 24, 2018.
What is the biggest lottery club win with a disclosed member count?
The three-member Breakfast Club in Michigan won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on January 1, 2024. Michigan Lottery says the club chose a lump-sum payment of about $425 million.
Why do you rank these by advertised jackpot instead of cash payout?
Advertised jackpot values are the most consistent headline measure across historical Powerball and Mega Millions records. The page shows cash values separately where an official source provides them, because the annuity headline and cash option are not the same amount.
Does the advertised jackpot equal what the group received in cash?
No. For U.S. jackpots, the advertised amount is generally the annuity value. A cash winner receives the lower lump-sum cash value, and taxes can reduce the amount further.
Can I divide the jackpot by the number of pool members to see what each person got?
Not reliably. Members can have different shares, some winners choose different payout options where allowed, and taxes vary. The split explorer on this page is deliberately labelled as an equal-share illustration, not an actual payout record.
Why are some trusts and LLCs missing from the ranking?
A trust or LLC name does not prove that several people jointly owned the ticket. This dataset only treats a winner as a group when an official lottery or game source establishes multiple participants or identifies it as a pool, club or group.
Was the $543 million California win a regular office pool?
No. Mega Millions says the 11 coworkers played on a spur-of-the-moment decision after hearing how large the jackpot had become. It is still a genuine workplace pool win, but not a long-running weekly pool.
Which famous pool had the most members?
Among the cases included on this page, the largest documented member count is the 166-member US Tool Group workplace pool that won a $1 million Powerball prize in Missouri in 2017. It is included as a special member-count record rather than in the jackpot leaderboard because it was not a jackpot win.
Did the 100 Miracles really have 100 winners?
Yes. Sargento's own history says 100 production employees were part of the pool that won the $208.6 million Powerball jackpot in Wisconsin in 2006.
What did the best-organized pools do before they won?
Several official winner stories mention clear member lists, regular contributions, a designated buyer and pre-draw ticket copies. The Lucky 16 required the buyer to send ticket copies to everyone, and the 166-member US Tool group also made copies of tickets.
Do lottery pools improve the odds?
A pool can buy more tickets than one member might buy alone, so the group can hold more combinations. It does not make any individual ticket more likely to win, and any prize is shared according to the group's arrangement.
What is the biggest famous lottery syndicate win outside the United States?
Ireland's National Lottery says a family syndicate claimed a €250 million EuroMillions jackpot from the June 17, 2025 drawing, the largest cheque ever presented in its Winners Room. This page keeps international examples separate because currencies and game structures differ.
Are these all the lottery pool jackpot winners ever?
No. This is a curated, source-led dataset rather than a claim of every group win in history. Public-disclosure rules vary, some winners remain anonymous, and a trust or company name may not reveal whether a ticket had multiple beneficial owners.
PRIMARY & OFFICIAL SOURCES
Winner records used to build this page
Where a claim involves a historical jackpot, the page prioritizes lottery operators, Powerball, Mega Millions or the employer's own historical record over secondary retellings.
Powerball — Media CenterHistorical jackpot winners, advertised annuity values, cash values and payout options. Powerball / California Lottery — $1.765B groupConfirms Theodorus Struyck represents the group that bought the winning ticket. Michigan Lottery — Breakfast ClubThree-member club, $842.4M jackpot and roughly $425M lump sum. Mega Millions — Santa Clara office poolEleven coworkers, $543M jackpot and official winner story. Mega Millions — New Life 2019Twenty-three coworkers, $437M jackpot and $262.214M cash value. New Jersey Lottery — Smith FamilyEight family members and the $429.6M Powerball jackpot. Tennessee Lottery — Tennessee 20Twenty coworkers, $420.9M jackpot and $254.7M cash value. Nebraska Lottery — ConAgra 8$365M jackpot, $177.3M cash option and equal pre-tax shares. Iowa Lottery — Shipping 20Quaker Oats coworkers and the $241M Powerball jackpot. Delaware Lottery — Seaford 33Thirty-three printing-company coworkers and $116.9M cash value. Sargento — 100 MiraclesConfirms 100 production employees in the 2006 workplace pool. Pennsylvania Lottery — SEPTA 4848 shares and the $107.533M cash payout. Mega Millions — Lucky 16Sixteen coworkers, ticket-copy routine and $38.334M one-time cash payment. Powerball — US Tool 166166 workplace members, ticket copies and approximate pre-tax share. Irish National Lottery — 2025 review€250M family syndicate and Ireland's record EuroMillions win.
Checked against current official records on 22 September 2026
This rebuild corrects the old page's record framing. The $543 million Santa Clara office pool remains a standout workplace record in this curated dataset, but it is not the largest officially confirmed shared-ticket group now documented: California Lottery confirms that Theodorus Struyck represented a group behind the $1.765 billion Powerball ticket, and Michigan Lottery confirms the three-member Breakfast Club's $842.4 million jackpot.
The database deliberately does not infer group ownership from a trust, LLC or family-sounding winner name alone. Public disclosure varies by jurisdiction, so “largest” claims on this page are scoped to the officially documented cases in the curated dataset.