$2 billion lottery winner drops $25.5 million on mansion in L.A.

LOS ANGELES (Gray News) – A man who won a record-breaking sum of money in a Powerball drawing recently spent a portion of his winnings on a mansion in Los Angeles.

On Feb. 14, the California Lottery announced Edwin Castro as the only winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot. Castro had bought the ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, an area just north of Los Angeles, ahead of the November drawing. The winning ticket matched all five numbers as well as the Powerball.

According to the lottery, Castro took a lump sum of $997.7 million before taxes. Less than a month after winning, the L.A. Times reported he spent a little more than 2.5% of his winnings on a new house in Hollywood Hills.

A Zillow listing shows the home was built just last year and sold on March 1 of this year.

The house is three stories tall and has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, according to the listing. Features include a private balcony, a spa, an infinity pool, two fire pits and a built-in barbecue area. Additionally, the mansion includes a movie theater, wine cellar, game room, bar, fitness studio, dry sauna and steam shower.

For parking, the house has an upper two car garage and more than seven gated off street spots along with a five-car showroom.

The property is about half an acre.

Castro declined to be interviewed by the California Lottery, but did say he was “shocked and ecstatic.” He also said he wanted to recognize the California public education system, which received $156.3 million from the jackpot, according to lottery officials.

“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,” he said in a statement sent to the California Lottery.

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