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

Feb 14, 2023, 10:42 AM | Updated: 4:09 pm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — 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.

The lottery that Castro won was the largest in U.S. history because it took so long or someone to choose the correct combination of six numbers to win the prize. The Powerball jackpot starts at $20 million and increases each time there is no winner. There were more than 40 consecutive drawings before Castro’s numbers were called: 10, 33, 41, 47 and 56, plus the red Powerball was 10.

Becker said all of those drawings raised $156.3 million for California public schools, the most ever from a single jackpot. Altogether, the California Lottery collected $2 billion for public schools in their most recent fiscal year.

“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 win means that three of the 10 largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history have come from tickets sold in California. The second-largest jackpot — $1.586 billion in 2016 — matched three tickets sold in California, Florida and Tennessee. A $699.8 million ticket, good enough for the ninth largest jackpot ever, was sold in California in 2021.

State officials have Castro’s winning ticket. Becker said they’re considering putting it on display at the lottery’s headquarters.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

This photo provided by Robert Wilkes, owner of a house boat management company, shows smoke rising ...

Associated Press

Houseboats catch fire while docked at Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell

More than half a dozen house boats momentarily caught fire at a popular boating destination on the Utah-Arizona line on Friday.

3 days ago

File - Women work in a restaurant kitchen in Chicago, Thursday, March 23, 2023. On Friday, the U.S....

Associated Press

US hiring, unemployment jump in May and what that says about the economy

The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations.

3 days ago

(Pixabay Photo)...

Associated Press

Oath Keeper from Arizona sentenced for role in Jan. 6 riot at US Capitol

Edward Vallejo, a U.S. Army veteran from Phoenix, oversaw a “Quick Reaction Force” at a Virginia hotel that was prepared to deploy an arsenal of weapons into Washington if needed, authorities say.

4 days ago

FILE - U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz listens during a news conference, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washi...

Associated Press

US Border Patrol chief is retiring after seeing through end of Title 42 immigration restrictions

The head of the U.S. Border Patrol announced Tuesday that he was retiring, after seeing through a major policy shift that seeks to clamp down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border following the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions.

5 days ago

FILE - President Joe Biden talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., on the House steps as...

Associated Press

House OKs debt ceiling bill to avoid default, sends Biden-McCarthy deal to Senate

The House approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.

5 days ago

Sean Bickings (Family Photo via city of Tempe)...

Associated Press

Family of man who drowned last year in Tempe Town Lake files wrongful death lawsuit

The family of a man who drowned in Tempe Town Lake a year ago filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city Wednesday, noting that its police department doesn't have a policy requiring officers to go into the water to save someone.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

(Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona Photo)...

Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona

5 common causes for chronic neck pain

Neck pain can debilitate one’s daily routine, yet 80% of people experience it in their lives and 20%-50% deal with it annually.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

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