The identity of the person who won the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot has been revealed.
Edwin Castro bought the ticket for the record-setting prize, which was drawn in November, lottery officials announced Tuesday.
Castro “would like to largely remain private,” and declined to attend Tuesday’s announcement, California Lottery Director Alva Johnson said.
In California, winners names are public record and they cannot remain anonymous.
Castro said in a statement read at Tuesday’s event that he was “shocked and ecstatic” to have won the jackpot, but it gave no hint as to how he’ll spend it.
He chose the lump-sum payment, which amounts to $997.6 million, state lottery deputy director and spokesperson Carolyn Becker said. Most take that option, she said.
Winners also have an option of taking the the prize in 30 payments over 29 years, which is a larger amount but spread out over time.
The winner had to come forward and then go through a vetting process to determine whether the ticket and claim were legitimate before the lucky ticket holder’s identity could be made public, Becker has said.
While names of winners in California are public record, other identifying information like place of residence, age or other details are not, officials said.
The winning ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, a community about 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, the California Lottery announced at the time.
On Nov. 8, Joseph Chahayed, the owner of the gas station and convenience store, was presented with a check for $1 million for selling the ticket. Chahayed, 74, said he came to the United States from Syria with his wife and two children and plans to “share this money with my children and grandchildren.”
The Nov. 8 $2.04 billion jackpot was the largest ever won in the history of the Powerball game, which started in 1992.
But it had some suspense: The drawing was scheduled to take place on Nov. 7, but was delayed by an issue and the numbers weren’t…
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