Powerball: Tonight’s winning numbers revealed

A month after awarding a half-billion-dollar jackpot that is getting mired in legal dispute, the Powerball drawing continued its climb through nine-figure jackpot territory Wednesday at $165 million.

The winning numbers were 23-34-35-40-47, with the red Powerball being 10.

If taken in a single massive payment, as most recent big lottery winners have chosen to do, the $165 million prize would be worth $99.7 million. Federal taxes would quickly consume almost 40 percent of that amount, with state taxes a possibility on top of that.

The $2 Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, along with the District of Columbia and some U.S. territories.

One of those states is New Hampshire, where resides the winner of the Jan. 6 drawing that was worth $560 million, one of the ten largest in U.S. history.

But nobody knows who the winner is because, although she has come forward to claim the prize, she is now suing New Hampshire lottery officials demanding to remain anonymous.

In a case filed last week, she says she made a “huge mistake” by signing her real name to the lottery ticket. Under New Hampshire’s rules, that waives her right to have a trust fund claim the ticket in her name and let her to stay anonymous.

“She wishes to continue [having] the freedom to walk into a grocery store or attend public events without being known or targeted as the winner of a half-billion dollars,” her legal team argues in court documents obtained by NewHampshire.com.

But the New Hampshire Lottery Commission is standing firm.

“The New Hampshire Lottery understands that winning a $560 million Powerball jackpot is a life-changing occurrence,” Charlie McIntyre, the lottery’s executive director, said in a statement to reporters. “Having awarded numerous Powerball jackpots over the years, we also understand that the procedures in place for prize claimants are critically important for the security and integrity of the lottery, our players and our games.”