There are usually two paths one can take after winning the lottery. Whether it’s $1 million or, as we’re seeing with Edwin Castro, $1 billion, all lottery winners end up in one of these two categories. You can let the money swallow you whole as you buy everything in sight. Or you can keep living modestly and out of the public eye.

Edwin Castro buys Hollywood Hills estate with $1 billion jackpot

It seems like Castro, who recently took a lump sum of just under a billion dollars before taxes after winning $2.1 billion, is on the fast track to becoming yet another victim of the lottery curse. Soon after collecting the largest lottery jackpot in history, Castro purchased a sprawling estate in the Hollywood Hills for $25.5 million.

And no, he didn’t go with a modest offering in one of the country’s most luxurious neighborhoods. In fact, his new home is currently the biggest sale of the year and one of the most expensive homes in the entire area. Castro will now be living the high life next to superstar neighbors Ariana Grande and Jimmy Kimmel.

A development company called Roman James Design built the house last year, which initially went on the market with a $30 million price tag. Castro’s new abode is a three-story home with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. Additionally, the house comes equipped with a movie theater, gym, sauna, game room, and more.

The half-acre property also has a luxurious backyard with patios, an outdoor kitchen, and, of course, a pool. The home overlooks the legendary Chateau Marmont as well as the Sunset Strip, among other notable Los Angeles landmarks. Lastly, there are two garages that hold a total of seven cars.

Will Castro break the lottery curse?

Castro has done his best to remain anonymous while collecting his winnings. Although lottery winners are required to reveal their identity to collect the winnings, Castro declined to appear at a press conference about his jackpot. According to Dirt, he may be in his 30s, but that’s all we know.

As we said before, lottery winners are a bit of a mixed bag. There are extreme cases, like Jack Whittaker, who won $314 million and immediately spent every last cent of it on family members, waitresses, and strip clubs before dying at the age of 72.

There’s also the case of Gerald Muswagon. He won $10 million in 2011 and wasted it all on houses, cars, and parties while running into some trouble with the law. By the end of his life, he was working on a farm to feed his girlfriend and six children. He hanged himself just seven years after hitting the jackpot.

On the other hand, you have people like Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt, who won nearly $330 million and still live in their modest Florida home worth just $300,000. It is possible to suddenly become flush with cash and not let it ruin your life.

Here’s hoping Castro hired a qualified team of lawyers, business managers, and financial advisors to help turn that money into more money. With his new Hollywood Hills estate, Castro has everything he needs to make some big moves in the near future.

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