Edwin Castro announced as $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot winner
The winner of a record-setting $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot was announced Tuesday by California Lottery officials. Applause and cheers followed the placement of Edwin Castro's ceremonial check beside a podium at a Sacramento ceremony. California State Lottery Director Alva Johnson congratulated Castro and said he respects his desire to remain as private as possible
"We offer our sincere congratulations on this unbelievable and historic win. As you might imagine, Edwin would like to largely remain private…he respectfully declined our invitation to appear publicly today," said Johnson.
Castro came forward more than three months after purchasing the winning ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena. The ticket matched all six numbers -- 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and Powerball number 10.
While Castro was not present, a statement was read on his behalf at the event."As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system," the statement read. "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. 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."
The overall jackpot was $2.04 billion, the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
Castro opted for the lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
Three other tickets sold in California matched five numbers in that drawing but missed the Powerball number. Those tickets -- sold in Gardena, Beaumont and San Francisco -- were each worth roughly $1.15 million. A total of 22 such tickets were sold nationally.
Joseph Chahayed, the owner of Joe's Service Center, earned a $1 million bonus as the retailer who sold the jackpot-winning ticket."I would like to thank all the community (who) support me," he told reporters at the time. "And I would ... I encourage you to buy a ticket from this station. ... You're going to be a winner to."
He said he was grateful that the community and schools will benefit from the lottery funds. He said he planned to share his $1 million bonus payment with his family.
"I will share it with the family ... with my kids, my grandchildren," he said. "I have 11 grandchildren, and I have to share with them."
The local win marks the first time the California Lottery has doled out a jackpot topping $1 billion to a single winner.
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game.
This one jackpot sequence raised a record-breaking $156 million for California public schools, according to California Lottery officials.
