SMART MOVE

Powerball Winner Wiped His Social Media, Went to Fiji After Windfall: Report

Sources told the New York Post the winner kept his $997.6 million jackpot a secret.

The Los Angeles resident who won the $2 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022 went on a vacation to Fiji with his friends and scrubbed his presence off social media before his name was publicly disclosed in February, according to the New York Post. Sources close to Edwin Castro told the newspaper that he kept his windfall, which was estimated to be $997.6 million after he opted for the lump sum payment, a secret. Insiders told the Post that after returning from his trip, he hired bodyguards for himself and his family. He also reportedly made several real estate purchases, including a $47 million residence in Bel Air and a $25 million mansion in Hollywood Hills. Back in February, Castro became the target of a lawsuit filed by Jose Rivera, who asserted that he bought the winning ticket, but the New York Post reported that California’s lottery commission had evidence supporting that Castro was the lawful winner. A trial date for the case has not yet been set.