Powerball lottery winner Edwin Castro hires three bodyguards to protect him 24/7 after scooping the $2b jackpot

POWERBALL lottery winner Edwin Castro has hired at least three bodyguards to protect him at all times after cashing in on a $2billion jackpot.

Castro, 30, collected his winnings from California State Lottery officials in January for the lump sum of $996million after carding the winning Powerball ticket from the November 7, 2022, drawing.

He was the only player to match all six numbers on the slip in the United States for the drawing, meaning he received the entire $2.04billion total, the largest lottery payout in history, per The New York Times.

Since Castro's name was revealed as the big winner, he has encountered legal struggles as a man named Jose Rivera initially filed a civil suit in February in Alhambra Superior Court after Castro came forward to collect his winnings.

He claims that he purchased it at Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California, the day before the November 8 drawing.

While the legal battle has continued, plenty of attention has been brought to Castro after coming into the large sum of money, and so he has reportedly hired three bodyguards for 24/7 protection as a result, per The Daily Beast.

Castro was spotted leaving a bank in April with the three bodyguards tailing behind, supposedly in charge of protecting him and his property.

Castro purchased a $25million Hollywood Hills estate this year after collecting his winnings.

This purchase is in addition to a $4million mansion that he also bought in Altadena, his hometown, and the area where Joe's Service Center sits close by.

The lottery winner made the purchases just two months after he collected the lump sum instead of 29 years worth of annuity payments, per the New York Post.

Bodyguards are protecting the livelihood of Castro and the five bedrooms, seven-bath 13,500 square foot home.

He was also seen driving around in a $250,000 vintage Porsche.

At the time of his win, Castro released a statement acknowledging the benefit of his win for the California Public School System that lottery officials read.

“As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system,” Castro said in the statement, per the New York Post.

“The mission of the California Lottery, which is to provide supplemental funding for California public education — both public schools and colleges — makes this a huge win for the state.”

Castro added: "As someone who received the rewards of being educated in the California public education system, it’s gratifying to hear that, as a result of my win, the California school system greatly benefits as well.”

Even so, the lawsuit still looms for the California native.

Body language expert Patti Wood told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive conversation that pictures of Castro taken around the time of the lawsuit's issuing showed that the winner looked troubled.

“What we see is, again, he’s not standing up straight. If you look at the posture, it’s more obvious in the shoulder," Wood explained.

"He’s off of alignment, [there’s a] lack of symmetry, which means he’s conflicted."

She continued: "He’s feeling one way and trying to hold it back. Something’s wrong. He’s troubled with it.”

On June 21, Castro was spotted attending a meeting at an office building in Los Angeles with a folder of legal documents as the court battle rages on.

For more related lottery content, check out The U.S. Sun's coverage on why a lottery lawyer says Rivera's claim and the lawsuit timing are "strange."

The U.S. Sun also has the story of another lawyer's prediction for Castro's future and how the legal battle will end.