08/20/2026
Edwin Castro, who won the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022, is using part of his fortune to help rebuild homes in Altadena, California, the community where he grew up.
Castro bought his winning ticket at an Altadena gas station. After the devastating Eaton Fire in January 2025 destroyed thousands of homes, he began buying fire-damaged properties in the area.
He has spent about $10 million buying 15 lots and plans to build single-family Craftsman-style homes. His goal is to have families who want to live in the homes become the owners, rather than selling them to investors or landlords.
“This is for a family that wants to move in... I'm not building these homes just to give them away,” Castro said. He also added, “the profit margin doesn't need to be egregious.”
By May 2026, two of the homes were already under construction. Castro is also reportedly donating three of his properties to the Greenline Housing Foundation, a nonprofit that helps people with down payments.
The project has received mixed reactions from local residents. Some people welcome Castro’s investment and the new homes it could bring. Others worry about gentrification and outside investors buying property in Altadena, a community with a long history of Black homeownership.
Castro’s project is therefore not only about rebuilding houses. It has also started a larger conversation about who will own the rebuilt homes and how Altadena’s community will change after the fire.
