Winner of $2B Powerball jackpot gratified by schools' part of prize

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- The California Lottery announced the winner of the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, some three months after the winning numbers were pulled.

Lotto officials announced Tuesday that Edwin Castro had won the Nov. 7 jackpot, buying the ticket at Joe's Service Center in Los Angeles County's Altadena.

Castro asked not to appear publicly and wished to remain private but issued a statement through the California Lottery stating "the real winner" is the state's public school system as it will receive $156.3 million -- the most earned from a single jackpot -- from his win.

"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," he said, according to the lotto agency.

Lotto officials said Castor elected to receive a lump-sum payout of $997.6 million instead of the prize's full amount over 30 annual payments.

Joe's Service Center was also paid a $1 million bonus for having sold the ticket.

California Lottery said that for the last fiscal year, it has raised some $2 billion for the state's public schools as 40 cents of every dollar spent on draw game tickets in the state goes toward education.

"Those funds are being used to elevate student-learning experiences across the state," California Lottery Director Alva Johnson said. "While our funds are a modest percentage of education's overall budget, educators have a lot of flexibility in how those dollars get spent."

November's jackpot ballooned to the record-setting $2 billion after three months without a first-prize winner that began on Aug. 3.