Winner of $2bn Powerball jackpot reportedly buys $47m Los Angeles mansion

The winner of the $2bn Powerball lottery jackpot has reportedly purchased a $47m mansion in Los Angeles, California.

In February, Edwin Castro was first identified as the sole recipient of the Powerball jackpot, after winning the money in November 2022. While only a few details about Castro have been revealed throughout the year, reports have claimed that he’s put his money towards a new purchase: A house located in a residential neighbourhood of Los Angeles, Bel Air.

According to the Daily Mail, Castro has purchased a compound for $47m from celebrity realtor Mauricio Umansky. The property reportedly comes with seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, and an enormous infinity pool that overlooks the city. Some other amenities in the home include DJ turntables, a suspended glass walkway, and a champagne tasting room.

The publication also described the layout of the home, with claims that the front door leads to a large foyer with a “swimming pool-size koi pond” that’s surrounded by glass walls. Meanwhile, the bedrooms reportedly come with walk-in closets, a sitting area, and large bathtubs.

As the Daily Mail reported that the house was a great party space, it’s no surprise that the place also comes with a bar area, glass-walled wine cellar, home theatre, and screening room.

This isn’t the first luxury home that Castro has bought since winning the lottery. In March, real estate publication Dirt reported that he’d purchased a mansion in a 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.

Similar to his new house in Bel Air, the Hollywood Hills home came with a handful of luxurious amenities, including five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two powder rooms. The three-story house also features a main level consisting of walls of glass, which allow for a “seamless connection” to the landscaped backyard, outdoor kitchen and infinity pool.

Weeks later, KTLA reported that Castro purchased another luxury home for about $4m. The second purchase was based in Altadena, California, which is Castro’s hometown. The home came with five bathrooms and five bedrooms, one of which was being used as a personal theatre before Castro had purchased it, as noted by the real estate listing on Compass.

According to the real estate site, the closing date on the house was 9 March, only days after Castro purchased his house in Hollywood Hills.

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. After taxes, Castro is expected to walk away with around $629m, according to Forbes.

Although not much is known about the multi-millionaire, he is reportedly in his early 30s. In February, he also revealed that he was raised in California and attended the state’s public schools.

While he didn’t attend the press conference where he was identified as the winner, Castro shared his 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,” he 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.”

He continued: “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.”