Two years have passed since Edwin Castro, a young mechanic, became the winner of the largest Powerball jackpot ever. Despite facing legal challenges and surviving massive wildfires, he continues to maintain a positive attitude.
Exclusive photos obtained by The U.S. Sun capture Castro looking radiant in his usual attire of sandals, a t-shirt, and sweatpants, indulging in his passion for shopping for cars and flaunting his jackpot winnings.
Recently, the 32-year-old Powerball victor visited Sport Trend Auto Sales in Los Angeles, California, to explore the selection of luxurious Porsches available at the dealership.
He wore grey sweatpants, flip-flops, baggy army green t-shirt, and sunglasses as he threw his hair back in a ponytail to dodge the LA heat.
Castro is no stranger to high-end dealerships, having spent a reported fortune on the vintage German masterpieces.
He has already amassed an enviable collection, including a pristine white vintage Porsche, which he drove in December 2023 on his way to shop for real estate.
In July, he was seen climbing in an eye-popping half-a-million-dollar Porsche 911 GT2RS with a woman after a romantic dinner at celebrity hot spot Nobu.
Before that, he was captured cruising in a gorgeous green 1970s Porsche 911 SC that’s estimated to be worth an estimated $50,000 during a night out.
And in January of last year, he pulled into a gas station in a flashy orange 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia that also sells for around $50,000.
Though the average American couldn’t fathom shelling out the cash for these rides, it’s just a flash in the pan for Castro, who scored a massive $966 million lump sum payout two years ago.
He bought the ticket in November 2022 at a gas station in the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena, where he lived and worked a blue-collar job.
Since cashing in his ticket, he’s amassed an enviable collection of properties, including a luxurious $25.5 million home in the Hollywood Hills right next to pop star Ariana Grande.
Castro had another $3.8 million beachfront house in Malibu, but that was completely destroyed in the Los Angeles fires.
Footage obtained by The U.S. Sun showed that what was once a relaxing getaway is now nothing more than smoldering rubble.
Despite the exorbitant spending, those close to the millionaire have stressed that he’s “not one to party” and has been “very smart” with spending his winnings.
“A lot of people who win the lottery say their lives were ruined because of the money, they party hard and get caught up in the lifestyle, some even end up spending it all,” someone close to him told The U.S. Sun.
“But Edwin comes from a good family, he’s humble, grounded, and isn’t interested in all of that.
“He does love flash cars, but even those are an investment and he’s planning to do restoration work with his father.
“Edwin doesn’t care all that much about designer clothes and he’s spending his money well.
“He’s bought two properties in Los Angeles and he’s spoken about buying vacation homes elsewhere.”
Castro came from humble roots, growing up as a boy scout and high school football player before studying architecture at Woodbury University in Burbank.
He worked on cars for several years before he had more than enough cash to retire young.
Edwin Castro’s Cars
Powerball winner Edwin Castro used his newfound fortune to express his love for cars, both new and old
Two years ago, Southern California native Edwin Castro was working as a mechanic before he won the Powerball Lottery of $2.04 billion.
After taxes, he took home $628.5 million, leaving plenty of room to buy the cars he’s always dreamed of.
These are the cars in his collection as of July 2024:
- 1980s Porsche 911 G Series Turbo Coupe, worth $135,491
- 1970s Porsche 356 Coupe, worth $250,000
- Grey 2023 Ram 1500 TRX – MSRP: $84,850 though dealerships often mark up to six figures
- Volkswagen Kharman Ghia (Black)
- Volkswagen Kharman Ghia (Black)
- Volkswagen Kharman Ghia (Red)
- 2024 Porsche 911 GT2RS, worth $500,000
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LEGAL BATTLES WON
Castro hit a roadblock as soon as he collected his winnings as Los Angeles gardener Jose Rivera bizarrely claimed he was actually the rightful owner of the ticket.
But in August, after a year-long battle, the accuser’s case was dismissed for good, which caused him to unleash an expletive-filled tirade against his millionaire rival.
Suspicious surrounding Castro’s win mounted after the California Lottery refused to release surveillance footage showing Castro walking into the Altadena gas station and purchasing the ticket.
However, lottery officials stressed that there was no need to release the video as they were certain the young mechanic had earned the prize.
Though Castro has enjoyed several perks of being exorbitantly wealthy, his family’s legal woes have proved that there is a lottery winner’s curse.
Edwin Castro’s Powerball win timeline
When and why Castro got sued
On November 7, 2022, Castro bought a winning Powerball ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.
The grand prize was $2.04 billion at the time – the largest in US history.
On February 14, 2023, the California Lottery announced Castro’s win, and he took home a one-time lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
Castro’s identity was released, but little information was known about the former mechanic.
In May 2023, Jose Rivera, a gardener from California, filed a lawsuit claiming that he was the rightful owner of the golden ticket.
Rivera claimed his former landlord Urachi F. Romero stole the ticket before it ended up in Castro’s hands.
Since filing the suit, Rivera has been charged with filing a false police report and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by a judge.
However, Rivera pleaded not guilty to the charge, passed the evaluation, and continues to defend his story.
