LA wildfires: Lottery winner loses entire mansion worth $3.8 million in blaze

A winner of the American lottery Powerball lost his mansion in Los Angeles to the ravaging wildfires. According to media reports on Friday (January 10), Powerball winner Edwin Castro purchased the mansion in 2023 for $3.8 million.

Now all that remains of the mansion is smoldering ash. This was the third property that he bought months after winning the lottery prize of $2.04 billion in 2022, according to a report by The Sun.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

He is America's largest-ever lottery winner.

Mansion purchased under a mystery company

American media previously reported that Castro bought the Malibu mansion under a mystery company and that he had used his wealth to beef up his security team.

Footage from The Sun showed waves lapping up against the beach where the mansion was situated. All that could be seen now were the foundations (of the structure) and possibly planks of wood.

LA wildfires death toll rises to 16

In the latest news from the calamity, the death toll has gone up to at least 16as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward some of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said in a statement Saturday evening.

There were fears that winds could move the fires towards the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge.

(With inputs from agencies)