California $2 Billion Powerball Winner Buys Los Angeles Mansion Amid Lawsuit Over Winnings
California Powerball winner of $2 billion had purchased a home in Los Angeles, with the home reported to being sold on March 1. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The California Powerball winner, who won the record-setting $2.04 billion jackpot in November, has purchased a $25.5 million mansion in Los Angeles.

According to PEOPLE, the mansion in Hollywood Hills, sold on March 1, was Edwin Castro's first big purchase.

California Lottery officials identified Castro as the winner of the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history and the largest ever for Powerball last month.

They said Castro, who matched all six numbers in the November 8 Powerball drawing, opted to receive the lump sum payment option of $997.6 million.

The home bought by Castro was a three-story structure with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in over 13,000 sq. ft. of living space. It also includes a gaming room, fitness studio, movie theater, wine cellar, pool deck, sauna, and steam shower room.

It also has a room with a fireplace, dining area, and kitchen. The mansion, built by Roman James Design last year, reportedly overlooks Los Angeles from Downtown to Century City.

It was initially listed for about $30 million by the luxury real estate firm The Agency. Castro purchased the mansion amid a lawsuit over the winnings.

$2.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot Winner in California Sued

Claiming that the winning Powerball ticket was stolen from him, a man sued Edwin Castro.

According to the court documents obtained by TMZ, Jose Rivera said he bought the Powerball ticket from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California, on November 7, the day before the actual drawing.

Rivera noted that a man, identified only as "Reggie," stole the ticket from him the same day he bought it. After the winning numbers were drawn, he said he asked Reggie to return the ticket, but he refused.

He said Reggie even said it was not a winner, and if it did win, he agreed to give up half. However, Rivera noted that the man also threatened to destroy the Powerball winning ticket if he did not split the massive prize.

Rivera said he "refused to be blackmailed" and reported this theft incident to the police and the California Lottery. ABC 7 reported that the lawsuit named California Lottery, Reggie, and Castro, as defendants.

Rivera said he submitted a claim form to the California Lottery, asking to conduct an investigation before paying out the winnings as the ticket was stolen.

Rivera had asked the court for damages and to declare him the Powerball winner of the $2.04 billion grand prize.

California Lottery on Powerball Winner Lawsuit

In a statement released after Jose Rivera filed the lawsuit late last month, the California Lottery said it is not authorized to investigate criminal activity among its players.

It noted that "such allegations are subject to investigation only by local law enforcement."

"Should a local law enforcement agency investigate such allegations, Lottery's only role is to assist in the matter by answering questions and/or providing evidence as allowed under the law," the California Lottery noted.

The statement added: "Further, when it comes to the vetting process for big winners, California Lottery has the utmost confidence in its process for doing so. California Lottery remains confident that Edwin Castro is the rightful winner of the $2.04 billion prize stemming from the Powerball drawing in November of 2022."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Winner of $2.04B Powerball Jackpot Buys $25.5 Million Hollywood Hills Mansion - From FOX 11 Los Angeles