Powerball Winner Edwin Castro Lost $4M Malibu Property to Wildfires

Edwin Castro, a man from California who won the Powerball jackpot a few years ago, has lost his home in Malibu in the notorious Los Angeles wildfires. While this is likely to be only a temporary setback to the jackpot winner, it still shows that luck can be a fickle thing.

Castro Became a Millionaire Overnight

Castro won a staggering $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in 2022. Even though he chose the lump cash option of $997 million and was later taxed, that still left him with some $628 million to work with.

The lucky man immediately ditched his job as a mechanic and engaged in a life of luxury, buying expensive homes and cars, and rubbing shoulders with trendy American celebrities. Castro, however, isn’t all about himself. In addition to starting his spending spree with a $47 million home, he also bought a $4 million Japanese-style mansion in Altadena for his parents.

As a former mechanic, Castro boasts a passion for vintage cars and currently owns several expensive old-school vehicles. These include multiple Porsches and several old-timey Volkswagens.

His property is protected by contracted professionals and state-of-the-art security systems. Unfortunately, it seems that no security system can protect one from Mother Nature’s wrath.

The House Burned Down

As the Los Angeles wildfires raged on, claiming multiple lives and causing billions of dollars in damages, one of Castro’s properties also burned down. The $4 million two-bedroom home in Malibu was another luxurious property with a picturesque view overseeing the ocean.

Reports say that the fires reached Castro’s home on January 8, burning it to the ground. While this is far from being the most expensive thing he owns, it is still a significant multi-million dollar loss.

In the month since the incident, multiple journalists have tried to contact Castro and get him to speak on the matter. However, the millionaire has so far refused to weigh in on the matter.

Castro’s Luck Has Yet to Run Out

Even though losing an expensive property is a terrible thing to experience, Castro has remained lucky on other fronts. This includes his purported relationship with Payten Vincent, a model whose closeness to the lottery winner has provided paparazzi and tabloids with exciting developments to follow.  

In addition to that, Castro managed to emerge victorious in a lawsuit that claimed he had actually stolen his life-changing Powerball ticket. The plaintiff, landscape gardener Jose Rivera, claimed that he was, in fact, the rightful winner and that the ticket had been stolen. Rivera couldn’t explain how the ticket had ended up in Castro whom he didn’t know at the time.

After examining the case, Judge Donna Hollingsworth ruled that lottery players are solely responsible for safeguarding their tickets against theft or loss. Hollingsworth did not address the truthfulness of Rivera’s allegations. The latter did not appeal the decision.