Lottery tycoon’s ‘me time’

Powerball winner Edwin Castro “vanished” from social media after hitting the $2.04 billion jackpot and took his friends to Fiji before his name was revealed.

The Los Angeles resident, 31, drew the numbers for the largest US jackpot of all time on Nov. 8, 2022, but the public didn’t know his identity until the California Lottery made an announcement in February, in accordance with the state’s laws.

Friends say immediately after winning, Castro kept his newfound wealth — amounting to $997.6 million after he chose the lump sum option — largely secret.

“I noticed he did disappear for a couple of months from his social media after he won, which is smart,” a source told The Post.

Castro enjoyed his last few weeks of anonymity by treating some of his close friends to a posh trip to Fiji.

In photos seen by The Post, a smiling Castro is holding a huge fish he caught on one excursion.

Once back from his trip, Castro started to get serious. Sources said one of his first moves was to hire bodyguards for his family.

Castro, an architect, and his brother Jesse, a banker, have been working together to manage the windfall.