The winner of a record $2.04bn (£1.69bn) lottery prize in the US has been named despite the fact that he wants to stay out of the spotlight.
Edwin Castro bought the winning ticket at a Los Angeles convenience store in November in which he matched all five winning numbers and the Powerball number, beating odds of one in 292 million.
He said in a statement that he was “shocked and ecstatic” at the win.
Mr. Castro became the 1,292nd richest person in the world on the lucky ticket, according to the latest Forbes list of billionaires.
His name was only released yesterday in line with California public disclosure laws. Lottery officials said Mr. Castro wanted to remain private and refused to disclose his age, occupation or address.
Ma said he was a former student of the California public school system who received $156.3 million from the Powerball jackpot as part of the lottery’s charitable purposes.
“As someone who has received awards for being educated in the California public education system, it is gratifying to know that as a result of my win, the California school system also benefits greatly,” he said.
Read more news from the United States:
The alleged killer attacks his own lawyer
A university gunman “may have planned” attacks on the school
US admits UFOs it shot down ‘benign’
Mr. Castro purchased the ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, a city 15 miles north of Los Angeles. The store will also receive a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Powerball winners can choose to receive their winnings in 30 annual payments or take a lump sum.
Mr. Castro chose the latter option, receiving $997.6 million, officials said at a news conference in Sacramento.
The advertised jackpots are based on the estimated value of the prize when invested in government bonds over a 30-year period. Most winners ask for the lump sum, even if the overall amount is less.
The Powerball lottery soared to its record jackpot sum of over $2 billion at the end of 2022 after more than 40 consecutive draws failed to produce a winner.
The second largest jackpot was in 2016, when three winning ticket holders in California, Florida and Tennessee shared a $1.586 million prize.
California is one of 45 states and three WE territories participating in the Powerball lottery.
