Last November, Edwin Castro was the sole winner of a historic $2.04bn Powerball jackpot, although it wasn’t until February that the Californian received his lottery money, having opted to accept the prize in a lump-sum payment of $997.6m.
Since then, his life has changed completely.
Mansions, cars, bodyguards…
Castro has bought a $25m mansion in the Hollywood hills, and now lives alongside stars from the movie and music industries. The 30-year-old has also purchased a $4m house in his home city of Altadena, California, as well as a Porsche valued at around $250,000.
Regularly spotted on the streets of Los Angeles, Castro doesn’t go anywhere without at least three bodyguards. He now fears for his security, so in April he hired a team to protect him and his properties.
In the most recent photo that has emerged of Castro, he could be seen leaving a branch of Chase bank in the company of a bodyguard.
Lawsuit claims Castro didn’t buy winning ticket
In February, another California man, José Rivera, filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court in Alhambra, claiming that he – not Castro – had bought the winning ticket for November’s draw. Rivera alleges that the ticket was stolen from him.
However, the California State Lottery remains adamant that Castro is the rightful recipient of the bumper jackpot.
“When it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has the utmost confidence in its process for doing so,” the body told TMZ.
