Who is Edwin Castro? Winner of record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot announced
ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA: A Californian man, Edwin Castro has won the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, officials announced on Tuesday, February 14. The name was confirmed since as per state law, the winners of the lottery cannot be kept private. Though the winner couldn’t be present at the California Lottery press conference event, Castro released a statement.
He was the only winner of the November 7, 2022 drawing, and bought the winning ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena in Los Angeles County. "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.
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'It's gratifying to hear that'
Edwin Castro has been revealed as the winner of the record-breaking $2 billion Powerball jackpot. @trevorlault has more. pic.twitter.com/Se6x1oXpDE
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2023
In his statement, Castro also talked about his connection with the California public education system, and its impact on him, "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." California Lottery’s representatives informed that Castro’s win on the 41st draw of the rolling in a multi-state lottery has brought great cheer for public education as it raised a record $156.3 million, as per People.
"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 Alva V. Johnson, California Lottery Director. "While our funds are a modest percentage of education's overall budget, educators have a lot of flexibility in how those dollars get spent," he further added. The officials also explained that 80 cents from every $2 Powerball ticket are spent on public education.
'California is blessed'
Carolyn Becker, a California Lottery spokesperson said, "California is blessed to have so many Lottery-made millionaires, including more than 140 last year alone. 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." The lottery winner Castro is set to bring home a whopping $997.6 million in either lump sum or cash value of the payout form. The winning ticket seller, Joe's Service Center, will earn a $1 million bonus. The public record also shows that over 11.2 million tickets won cash prizes related to the drawing.