Brother of Arkansas Mayor Revealed as Winner of Historic $2 Billion Powerball Jackpot

The mystery behind one of the biggest lottery wins in U.S. history has finally been solved. Lottery records identify Tracy Hartwick as the winner of the historic Powerball jackpot ticket worth nearly $2 billion, purchased at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, Arkansas, on Christmas Eve.

Highlights

• 🎉 Second-largest Powerball jackpot ever won.
• 💰 Tracy chose the lump-sum payment of $834.9 million.
• 🤝 The prize was shared with his brother Timothy and another unnamed individual.
• 🏡 Since the win, Tracy and his wife have reportedly purchased two luxury homes.

Although the jackpot was originally announced without revealing the winner's identity, Arkansas law only allows most lottery winners to stay anonymous for three years. Because Tracy is the brother of an elected official, his identity became public within the required disclosure period.

Tracy is the brother of North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick, who has served multiple terms as mayor and was re-elected without opposition in 2024.

Lottery records show Tracy received roughly $565 million after cashing out the prize in January, while about $219 million went toward taxes. His brother Timothy received approximately $6.9 million as part of the shared winnings.

Tracy owns Hartwick Heat and Air, an HVAC business that remains in operation and continues serving customers.

Previous Controversies Surrounding the Family

The Hartwick family has drawn public attention before. Earlier this year, reports questioned city contracts awarded to Tracy's HVAC company, which received more than $81,000 for work with the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Mayor Terry Hartwick defended the arrangement, saying his brother should be allowed to do business with the city if he was an approved vendor.

The mayor also faced allegations following a high school Christmas choir concert, where two teenage students accused him of inappropriate physical contact. After an investigation, a special prosecutor concluded there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges.

According to the prosecutor, the available evidence did not support the legal requirements needed to pursue harassment charges.

Despite the enormous lottery win and renewed public attention, neither Tracy Hartwick nor Mayor Terry Hartwick has publicly commented. A spokesperson for the mayor said no statement would be issued regarding the jackpot.