The winner of a $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot has been identified as Tracy Hartwick, the brother of North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick. The winning ticket was purchased on Christmas Eve at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, Arkansas.
This marks the second-largest Powerball win in history, surpassed only by a Californian's $2.04 billion win in 2022. Tracy Hartwick chose to receive his winnings as a lump sum, which amounted to $834.9 million after taxes, according to Arkansas Lottery records. He opted to remain anonymous, a status Arkansas law allows lottery winners for three years.
However, elected officials and their immediate family members must reveal their identities within six months of a win. Lottery records indicate that Tracy Hartwick shared his winnings with another brother, Timothy, and an anonymous third individual. Tracy received $565 million before taxes, while Timothy claimed $6.9 million.
Since the win, Tracy and his wife, Shari, have reportedly purchased two homes valued at $2.1 million and $1 million. Tracy Hartwick owns Hartwick Heat and Air, a company that has previously received city contracts. Tracy and Mayor Terry Hartwick faced scrutiny earlier this year when the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the HVAC company received over $81,000 from the city for work at the Parks and Recreation Department, which Terry Hartwick oversaw before becoming mayor.
Mayor Hartwick defended the contract, stating it was legal and that his brother, as an approved vendor, should be allowed to do business with the city. A similar accusation arose during Terry Hartwick's previous mayoral term in the 1990s when a contract was awarded to Timothy's pressure washing business.
Mayor Terry Hartwick himself was the subject of an investigation earlier this year following accusations of inappropriate behavior at a high school choir concert in December 2025. Special Prosecuting Attorney Robbie Jones investigated the incident, which involved allegations of unwanted touching and tickling of two teenage girls. Jones ultimately decided not to file charges, citing insufficient evidence to prove intent for harassment.
Representatives for the mayor have declined to comment on the lottery winnings. The Hartwick brothers have not publicly addressed the news of the jackpot win.