Winner of Record $2 Billion Powerball Jackpot Is Revealed

More than three months after someone bought the winning ticket for a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, California Lottery officials announced on Tuesday that winner was … Edwin Castro.

At Mr. Castro’s request, lottery officials did not disclose any biographical information about him, though they did release his name at a news conference, in keeping with California’s public disclosure laws.

For his part, Mr. Castro opted not to attend, though he did release a statement saying that he was “shocked” and “ecstatic” over his win. He added that he was pleased that his good fortune would also help California public schools, which will receive more than $156 million in proceeds from ticket sales.

“As someone who received the rewards of being educated in the California public education system,” he said in the statement, “it’s gratifying to hear that as a result of my win, the California school system greatly benefits as well.”

Instead of opting to receive the full amount of his win in multiple installments over 30 years, Mr. Castro opted for a onetime lump sum payment of $997.6 million, lottery officials said.

Despite the dearth of information about the winner of the largest single lottery payout to an individual, California lottery officials seemed pleased to at least be able to share the name of the winner.

“We get to celebrate a real human today,” said Carolyn Becker, a spokeswoman for the California Lottery. “Although he would like to remain private, we’re very excited to announce a winner and we’re so pleased that he’s particularly supportive of our mission.”

Alva Johnson, director of the California Lottery, noted that Mr. Castro’s winning ticket was the only one that had matched all five winning numbers and the Powerball number in the drawing on Nov. 7. Mr. Castro bought the ticket at Joe’s Service Center, a gas station in Altadena, a town 15 miles north of Los Angeles.

The Powerball jackpot climbed to its record sum over several months in late 2022, as more than 40 consecutive drawings failed to yield a winner. According to Powerball, 22 players who guessed all five white balls in the Nov. 7 drawing won $1 million, and one player in Florida won $2 million for guessing the five white balls and a special Power Play option. Several others won $50,000 and $100,000 prizes.

Only one other jackpot has topped $1 billion in Powerball’s history. The money was split among multiple winners in California, Florida and Tennessee. The odds of winning any Powerball prize are about 1 in 25, according to Powerball. Mr. Castro’s jackpot win, however, defies astronomical odds: one in 292.2 million.

California also offers a “Winner’s Handbook,” complete with nearly 20 pages of recommendations for big winners to consider after hitting the jackpot. It includes advice about selecting a financial adviser, along with tax information related to payments.