--- title: 600,000 People Shared a Mathematically Inept Powerball Post description: The Powerball lottery jackpot is expected to grow to a record $1.3 billion by the next drawing on Wednesday night. canonical: https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-11T20:18:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:45.310Z og:title: Over 800,000 People Shared This Mathematically Inept Powerball Post og:description: The numbers just don't add up og:url: https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Over 800,000 People Shared This Mathematically Inept Powerball Post twitter:description: The numbers just don't add up twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # More Than 800,000 People Shared This Mathematically Inept Powerball Post > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=4e089ad5-ee7d-4aed-9488-ea79de0d12a8&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=4e089ad5-ee7d-4aed-9488-ea79de0d12a8&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=4e089ad5-ee7d-4aed-9488-ea79de0d12a8&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=4e089ad5-ee7d-4aed-9488-ea79de0d12a8&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What To Do With Your Piles Of Cash After Winning The Powerball [Watch (HLS stream): What To Do With Your Piles Of Cash After Winning The Powerball](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5KvH2pPv.m3u8) (1:55)  _Published 2016-01-11. Before you make a mattress out of money, take these steps to protect your new fortune._  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Jan 11, 2016 8:18 PM UTC  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Jan 11, 2016 8:18 PM UTC The [Powerball lottery jackpot](http://time.com/4171474/powerball-lottery-more-likely-win/) is expected to grow to a record [$1.4 billion](http://time.com/4169112/powerball-lottery-winner/) by the next drawing on Wednesday night. When that estimate grew to $1.3 billion, a lottery meme began circulating on social media claiming that if the jackpot were divided evenly among all Americans, poverty would become nonexistent. So what’s the problem? Well, the math is completely wrong. The meme states that $1.3 billion divided among 300 million people would come out to $4.33 million per person. In reality, it would only equal about $4.33 per person. [Gizmodo](http://factually.gizmodo.com/powerball-math-1-3-billion-divided-by-300-million-is-1752269297) also points out that the population of the United States is closer to 319 million, meaning that everyone would actually only receive around $4.09\. And of course, all of those figures don’t even take into account the fact that the payout will be [_significantly_ ](http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/08/pf/taxes/powerball-jackpot-tax-bill/)[reduced by taxes](http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/08/pf/taxes/powerball-jackpot-tax-bill/). **Read More:** [Here’s a Guaranteed Way to Win the Powerball Jackpot](http://time.com/4175605/powerball-jackpot-guarantee-win/) The Facebook post currently has more than 400,000 likes and 813,000 shares, and has even inspired several counter-memes. ## Transcript Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that the Powerball jackpot had ballooned to a whopping $ 1. 4 billion, the largest lottery prize in world history. And if you haven't gone out and snagged a ticket or two, maybe you should. An estimate made before the jackpot hit 800 million, said it would need to be at least 1. 7 billion for the cost of a ticket to be worth it. So we're getting close. So let's say you do end up hitting all six of those lucky numbers. After you stop screaming, here are some smart steps you should take to ensure you make the most of all that money. First, figure out what your money goals are. A wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual suggests carefully considering what you need to save for before blowing your newfound cash. After all, little Bobby's college tuition isn't gonna pay for itself. Next, lawyer up. A securities attorney who's represented several lottery winners in the past told USA Today you should assemble a team of lawyers. Certified Public Accountants and financial advisors even before you claim that big prize. These trusted people will help you navigate your tax liability, choose the right investments, and avoid scams. Once you've got your legal team together, it's, It's time to decide whether you want your wining in a lump sum, or in installments over time. Zack's investment research points out, you'll get much less money if you pick the lump sum, and you'll have to pay income taxes on the entire amount in the year paid. If you invest that sum wisely, you can make that money back. But, if your money management skills aren't too great, or if you're still young, you might consider taking the extended payouts, to ensure a solid financial base for years to come. And finally, after winning such a prize, it's okay to treat yourself a little. After all, you'll win over a billion dollars if you score this PowerBall jackpot. A new car or an awesome vacation probably wouldn't hurt. Now that you're all prepped for your big win, make sure you go out and get some tickets. The next drawing will take place Wednesday night. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/"},"headline":"More Than 800,000 People Shared This Mathematically Inept Powerball Post","datePublished":"2016-01-11T20:18:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:47:45.310Z","description":"The numbers just don't add up","url":"https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Social Media","Internet","facebook","Lottery","Powerball"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/","name":"More Than 800,000 People Shared This Mathematically Inept Powerball Post"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What To Do With Your Piles Of Cash After Winning The Powerball","description":"Before you make a mattress out of money, take these steps to protect your new fortune.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/5KvH2pPv/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-11T17:40:58.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5KvH2pPv.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/","duration":"PT1M55S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4175797/powerball-math-facebook-post/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```