Where past billion‑dollar Powerball winners are now
Only five Powerball jackpots have topped $1 billion; recipients’ lives since winning have ranged from legal battles and health struggles to continued modest lifestyles.
Powerball has produced billion‑dollar jackpots only five times in its history, and the fortunes that followed those windfalls have varied widely. As excitement built around a $1.1 billion drawing on Monday, the experiences of past winners underscored that a large prize does not guarantee a steady life.
One of the most prominent recent winners is Edwin Castro, who claimed a $2.04 billion Powerball prize with a ticket sold in California in November 2022. Castro, then 33, was the subject of a lawsuit from a man who said he had custody of the ticket; that suit was dismissed in October 2024. A few months later, Castro’s Malibu home in the Palisades area was destroyed in a wildfire in January 2025. Castro has also been publicly linked with a partner since his win.
Other billion‑dollar winners have faced very different post‑win circumstances. One winner, a Laotian immigrant who claimed a top prize, has been reported to be battling cancer while living in Oregon. Another winner described in media accounts as a "humble" grandfather continued to live modestly and reportedly still drives the same older pickup truck he owned before the jackpot.
Across all five billion‑dollar Powerball winners, patterns are mixed. Some recipients have faced legal disputes over ticket ownership or payout arrangements. Others have maintained low public profiles and steady routines, while still others have seen personal hardships, including health issues and losses tied to natural disasters.
The rarity of billion‑dollar jackpots is part of what draws intense public attention when they occur. Powerball’s multimillion and multibillion prizes are funded through annuity structures and lump‑sum cash options, and winners’ choices about how to receive and manage those funds can shape their long‑term outcomes.
Government and financial advisers often recommend that large lottery winners assemble teams of legal, tax and financial professionals to manage payouts, but media coverage of past billion‑dollar winners shows that not all follow the same path. Some confront litigation over tickets and claims, others contend with personal or health crises, and some prefer to keep their lives largely unchanged.
As the Powerball drawing that reignited public interest closed, observers noted that past winners’ varied experiences offer a reminder that a headline‑grabbing prize is the start of a complex financial and personal journey rather than a guaranteed solution to every problem.