One number from each cookie creates a life-changing Virginia Lottery ticket

FAIRFAX, VA – Six fortune cookies handed a Fairfax County man six numbers, and he turned them into a Powerball ticket that delivered a staggering $2 million prize after matching every number except the Powerball.

The Virginia Lottery said the man collected numbers from six different fortune cookies before deciding to put them to the test.

He selected one number from each cookie and used the resulting combination to purchase a Powerball ticket online for the Aug. 1 drawing.

Those unconventional picks came remarkably close to capturing the jackpot.

The winning white numbers were 6, 17, 27, 48 and 50. The Powerball was 5.

The Fairfax County man’s ticket matched all five white numbers, missing only Powerball 5.

Matching the five white numbers carries a standard $1 million Powerball prize.

One additional decision doubled his payday.

The man spent another $1 to add Power Play to his online ticket, increasing the $1 million prize to $2 million.

The winner chose to remain anonymous.

Virginia law allows lottery winners to claim prizes without having their identities publicly disclosed.

Powerball drawings take place at 10:59 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The odds of matching all six numbers to capture the Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292.2 million. Overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25.

Virginia residents who are at least 18 and physically located within the Commonwealth can purchase entries for Powerball and several other draw games online.

Virginia Lottery profits support K-12 public education across the state.

Fairfax County received more than $54.1 million in lottery funding for K-12 education during the previous fiscal year.

The Virginia Lottery generated more than $914 million for K-12 education statewide during Fiscal Year 2026, representing approximately 10% of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.

For one Fairfax County man, six slips of paper tucked inside fortune cookies ultimately provided five matching Powerball numbers — and a $2 million payoff.

Key Points

• A Fairfax County man selected one number from each of six fortune cookies for his Aug. 1 Powerball ticket.
• The ticket matched all five white numbers — 6, 17, 27, 48 and 50 — but missed Powerball 5.
• The ticket’s Power Play option doubled the standard $1 million prize to $2 million.