Winner of California’s $2B lottery gets largest U.S. jackpot

SACRAMENTO >> The winner of the largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history is a former student in the California public school system who wants to mostly stay out of the spotlight.

California lottery officials on Tuesday said Edwin Castro won the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball prize in November. But they couldn’t say anything else about him. State law says Castro’s name is in the public record, but nothing else is — including his age and where he lives.

The winning ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, an unincorporated community in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles. But California Lottery winners aren’t required to live in the state to win. Joe Chahayed, the owner of Joe’s Service Center, got a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Castro declined an invitation from state officials to speak to reporters on Tuesday. Instead, he sent a written statement that said he was “shocked and ecstatic” to have won the lottery. California’s lottery benefits public schools, and Castro’s statement identified 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 receive their winnings over 30 annual payments or as a lump sum. State officials said Castro chose the lump sum of $997.6 million.

Most people who win big lottery jackpots try to keep a low profile and avoid publicity, California Lottery Deputy Director Carolyn Becker said. But some states like to announce winners publicly to “humanize” the lottery by reminding the public that real people win real prizes.