California Lottery made 125 millionaires in 2022 - and 1 billionaire, thanks to record Powerball

LOS ANGELES -- This was perhaps the luckiest year ever for the California Lottery and its players.

The Lottery made 125 new millionaires through its scratchers and draw games this year.

And of course, it made its first-ever billionaire through the record-setting $2 billion Powerball ticket that was sold in Altadena in November. The winner has still not come forward publicly.

The owner of the Altadena gas station that sold that ticket became a millionaire himself, taking a $1 million prize for selling the winner. And the run of sales for that particular jackpot - 41 drawings before the winner was hit - raised $156 million for California schools.

The lottery estimates it sold some $8.8 billion in tickets in fiscal year 2021-22, which could translate to nearly $2 billion provided to schools.

Here are a few of the notable stories behind the jackpots this year:

Ventura County SuperLotto Plus winner shares plan for $27M jackpot

Woman won $10M after accidentally pushing wrong button on machine in Tarzana

A woman said she purchased a California Lottery Scatchers ticket worth $10 million after a stranger accidentally bumped into her, forcing her to inadvertently push the wrong button on a vending machine.

$421M Mega Millions winning ticket sold at a gas station in Woodland Hills