Powerball’s one-billion-dollar jackpot missed by one number

  Ema Alice: A North Carolina man was one number away from winning a Powerball jackpot worth $1 billion, but he still pocketed $150,000. He collected his prize on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at state lottery headquarters, and after tax withholdings, he took home $107,626, lottery officials said Without a jackpot winner on Labor Day, the Powerball top prize has since risen to a whopping $1.3 billion. A North Carolina man was one number away from winning a massive Powerball lottery jackpot worth $1 billion, but he still pocketed a significant prize. Edward Allen bought a $3 Powerball ticket from a gas station convenience store in Monroe. His ticket ended up matching the numbers on four of the five white balls along with the red Powerball in a drawing on Saturday, Aug. 30, earning him $50,000, North Carolina Education Lottery officials said in a statement. But luckily, because he purchased a Power Play ticket, his winnings tripled to $150,000 due to the multiplier. He collected his prize on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at state lottery headquarters. After tax withholdings, he took home $107,626, lottery officials said. Without a jackpot winner on Labor Day, the Powerball top prize has since risen to a whopping $1.3 billion, carrying a cash value of about $589 million and making it the fifth-largest in Powerball history. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The next drawing is set for the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 3, and North Carolina lottery officials say the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 292 million — which might make the $2 to $3 ticket price worthwhile. [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.] BP/CS