Edwin Castro is buying lots damaged in the LA wildfires

When Edwin Castro stepped out of the shadows as the winner of the largest Powerball jackpot in US history, he stayed mostly quiet — letting his new multimillion-dollar homes and collection of vintage Porsches do the talking.

But in the wildfire-ravaged hills of Altadena, California, the quiet didn’t last.

Castro, who won a record $2 billion Powerball jackpot, has spent roughly $10 million buying up 15 fire-scorched properties in his hometown of Altadena, with plans to rebuild homes where thousands once stood before January’s wildfires devastated the foothill community.

“This is for a family that wants to move in,” Castro told the Wall Street Journal on a recent walk through one of the neighborhoods reduced to ash. “Those are the people that need to be looked out for right now.”

The 33-year-old former Boy Scout and architecture consultant — who once rented a room in Altadena before his lottery win — now finds himself among the largest private landowners in town. 

He’s planning to build mostly single-family homes, including a personal residence he described as “Willy Wonka-esque,” complete with secret underground rooms. 

“I want to have kids like yesterday,” he told the Journal. “It’s about family. Family is important.”

Castro is one of several investors purchasing lots from displaced residents who opted to sell rather than face the multiyear challenge of rebuilding. 

Some, including developers from San Diego and Arizona, have announced plans for new construction. But local reaction to the outside interest has been mixed.

Altadena lost about 9,000 structures in the January blaze. 

While cleanup is largely complete, only a handful of new homes are under construction. Many homeowners remain in limbo — fighting insurance companies, awaiting permits or struggling with the costs of reconstruction.

“I’ve never been in this situation before, so it’s been step-by-step, figuring out all the what-ifs,” 76-year-old retiree Carl Fromm, who is trying to rebuild the home he shared with his wife, said. He spoke to the Journal from temporary housing.

Castro has assembled a small team, including a design consultant, to manage the process. 

Architectural plans for the first two homes — three-bedroom Craftsman-style houses with additional residential units — have been submitted for permits. His family office is run by friends from Crescenta Valley High School.

He insists this is not a real-estate empire in the making. 

“The profit margin doesn’t need to be egregious,” Castro said. “But I’m not building these homes just to give them away.”

Castro said he plans to sell only to buyers who want to live in the community long term – not investors. 

“You don’t want to be the first to finish your homes because everybody else will be doing construction,” he added. “If you sell at the end of the timeline, the whole neighborhood will be at value.”

While some residents have expressed concerns about the future character of the town, others have welcomed Castro’s presence.

“I feel better about him than anybody else because he’s from the area,” Joel Bryant, a contractor and longtime local, said in an interview with the Journal

Zaire Calvin, whose family lost two homes in the fire and whose sister, Evelyn McClendon, died during the evacuation, told the Journal he sees potential in Castro’s involvement.

 “Billionaires should be the first ones in line to help,” he said. “A collaboration with him would be great to make sure that actually happens.”

Castro said he does not plan to purchase any more properties. 

“It’s too much work,” he said. “Imagine a 10-year project. That’s a good chunk of your life.”

For now, the gas station where he bought his winning ticket still stands — one of the few structures that survived the fire untouched.