Lottery officials in California have confirmed the name of the winner of the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, but the announcement on Tuesday was not exactly a windfall of other details about the man.
Edwin Castro, who did not appear at the California Lottery press conference, was the sole winner of the Nov. 7, 2022 drawing, officials announced. Castro’s name is a matter of public record in the state, where lottery winners cannot remain anonymous.
The man, who bought the ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena in Los Angeles County, “wishes to remain private,” but did provide the lottery commission with a statement.
“As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system,” Castro 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.”
Representatives with the California Lottery said Castro’s win — on the 41st draw of the rolling, multi state lottery — raised a record $156.3 million for public education.
“We here at the California Lottery take a tremendous amount of pride in our mission, which is to raise and reliably deliver supplemental funding for public education. Those funds are being used to elevate student learning experiences across the state,” said California Lottery Director Alva V. Johnson. “While our funds are a modest percentage of education’s overall budget, educators have a lot of flexibility in how those dollars get spent.”
Lottery officials said 80 cents from every $2 Powerball ticket goes toward public education.
“California is blessed to have so many Lottery-made millionaires, including more than 140 last year alone,” said Carolyn Becker, California Lottery spokesperson. “We often hear from our largest prize winners — including Edwin Castro — that they’re thrilled to know their participation in our games ultimately benefits such a good cause and helps boost local economies throughout the state.”
Castro himself will benefit by taking the lump sum/cash value of the payout, which comes to $997.6 million.
Joe’s Service Center, where the ticket was sold, earned a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket.
More than 11.2 million tickets won cash prizes associated with the drawing.
