Winner of record-breaking $2bn Powerball jackpot buys $25m California mansion

Edwin Castro walked away with lump sum of $997.6m after winning $2bn jackpot

The winner of the record-breaking $2bn Powerball lottery jackpot has purchased a $25m mansion in California, according to reports.

Edwin Castro was identified as the sole recipient of the Powerball jackpot in February, after winning the prize in November. Castro chose to accept the award as a lump sum, which meant he walked away with $997.6m before taxes after purchasing the lottery ticket at a gas station in Altadena, California.

However, apart from his name, little details have been revealed about Castro until this week, when real estate publication Dirt reported that he’d purchased a mansion in the wealthy California suburb Hollywood Hills.

According to the outlet, Castro received a $5m discount off the 13,578sq-ft-home’s original asking price of $30m.

As for the amenities he’ll be able to enjoy in his new abode, Dirt reported that the home, which was built by developer Roman James, features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two powder rooms.

Additionally, the three-story house features a main level consisting of walls of glass, which allow for a “seamless connection” to the landscaped backyard, outdoor kitchen and infinity pool.

The home, which is built into the side of a cliff, also boasts a gym, movie theatre, wine cellar, cold plunge pool, and sauna on its lower level, while the upper level includes a private balcony and a rooftop deck.

Castro will also be able to splurge on cars, as the home comes with two garages capable of storing seven automobiles, the Dirt reports.

The home’s expensive price tag is not surprising considering the location and amenities, as the Hollywood Hills area of California, which is home to celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel and Ariana Grande, has an average price point of $1.9m, according to real estate site Zillow.

Although not much is known about Castro, Dirt reports that he is thought to be in his early 30s.

As for what we do know about the new multi-millionaire, he revealed in February that he was raised in California and attended the state’s public schools. The unusually large prize helped raise a record-breaking $156m for California’s public school system, drawn from ticket sales within the Golden State.

Although he did not attend the press conference where he was identified as the winner, Castro shared the personal information through a statement, in which he expressed his happiness that California public schools would also be benefitting from the lottery prize.

“As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system,” Castro said. “The mission of the California Lottery, which is to provide supplemental funding for California public education, both public schools and colleges, makes this a huge win for the state.

“As someone who received the rewards of being educated in the California public education system, it’s gratifying to hear that as a result of my win, the California school system greatly benefits as well.”

During the press conference, lottery director Alva Johnson acknowledged that Castro would prefer to “largely remain private”.

“As you might imagine, Edwin would like to largely remain private,” Johnson said. “He understands his name is part of the public record, and now part of history. But he respectfully declined our invitation to appear publicly with us today, understandably so.”

With his win, Castro became the recipient of the largest prize in the history of the US lottery. After taxes, Castro is expected to walk away with around $629m, according to Forbes.