The winner of the greatest U.S. lottery jackpot in history is a former student in the California public school system who prefers to remain mostly anonymous.
According to California lottery authorities, Edwin Castro won the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball prize in November. But they were powerless to say anything else about him. According to state law, Castro’s name is public record, but nothing else is, including his age and where he lives.
Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, an unincorporated town in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles
Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, an unincorporated town in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles, sold the winning ticket. However, California Lottery winners are not obliged to reside in the state. Joe Chahayed, the proprietor of Joe’s Service Center, received a one-million-dollar incentive for selling the winning ticket.
On Tuesday, Castro declined an invitation to speak with the media from state officials. Instead, he issued a written statement in which he expressed his “astonishment and ecstasy” at winning the lotto. California’s lottery benefits public schools, and Castro’s remark defined himself as “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.
Winners can choose to collect their prize over 30 annual payments or as a single sum. According to state officials, Castro picked a single payment of $997.6 million.
According to California Lottery Deputy Director Carolyn Becker, most lottery winners desire to keep a low profile and avoid exposure.
However, some states choose to publicly announce lottery winners in order to “humanize” the lottery by reminding the public that real people win real prizes.
Because it took so long for someone to choose the perfect combination of six numbers to win the jackpot, Castro’s lottery was the largest in US history. The Powerball jackpot starts at $20 million and grows larger each time no one wins. Before Castro’s numbers were called, there were more than 40 consecutive drawings: 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56, plus the red Powerball was 10.
All of those lotteries, according to Becker, raised $156.3 million for California public schools
All of those lotteries, according to Becker, raised $156.3 million for California public schools, the biggest ever from a single prize. In the most recent fiscal year, the California Lottery raised $2 billion for public schools.
“These numbers represent promises kept since voters created the lottery in 1984 with the explicit purpose and intent to raise supplemental funding for public education,” California Lottery Director Alva Johnson said.
Castro’s victory means that three of the ten highest lottery jackpots in U.S. history have come from California tickets. In 2016, the second-largest prize – $1.586 billion — was won by three tickets sold in California, Florida, and Tennessee. In 2021, a $699.8 million ticket was sold in California, resulting in the tenth-highest prize ever.
Castro’s winning ticket is in the hands of state officials. Becker said they’re thinking about displaying it at the lottery’s headquarters.