World’s biggest lottery winner Edwin Castro splashes out on £200k vintage Porsche after taking home £1.6bn jackpot
THE world’s biggest lottery winner has splashed out on a £200,000 vintage Porsche after taking home the £1.6billion jackpot.
Edwin Castro’s first point of call after winning big was buying a vintage 911 to hit the roads of California with style.
The US man took home the record-breaking scoop last year and opted for a one-off lump sum payment.
He reportedly purchased the sought after Porsche not long after.
Pictures showed the beautiful white sports car glistening in the sunlight as Edwin drove it through the streets of Altadena.
The exact year of make is unclear, however, vintage 911’s hold a certain prestige in the motoring world.
The slick model won the hearts of many car enthusiasts when it originally came into production in 1964.
Besides its regal interior, its roaring engine delivered 130hp and could reach an impressive top speed of 210km per hour.
Its characteristic “ducktail” was also the world’s first rear spoiler on a production vehicle at the time.
While thousands of the high-performance model were produced since its inception, there were a limited number – which sees well kept versions fetching huge prices on the market.
It was reported that Porsche values varied anywhere from £27,800 for a mint condition 1977 911S to up to £1million for an immaculate 1995 GT2.
Last year, a classic Porsche Speedster that was a favourite with celebrities such as James Dean and Steve McQueen was set to fetch a huge price at auction.
Known as a “Pre-A roadster” the classic was prized by collectors for its scarcity and the purity of its design.
This particular car was the 347th Speedster produced, completed on 3rd March 1955 before being delivered to New York.
When it was going under the hammer, auctioneers said: “If you are old enough to remember the first time you saw one of these being driven hard back in 1955 you will still remember the visceral effect it had on you in that grey hard time after WW2 when this car seemed to embody beauty, elegance, glamour and speed.
“And, Oh Lord, you wanted it so badly.
“Others must have felt that too because decades later it will set you back close to £275,000 to win this beauty at the Silverstone auction.”
Nevertheless, Edwin now owns a luxury car and is ready to match it with a new home.
Since claiming his prize in February, he reportedly bought two multimillion dollar properties in California.
One was a $25.5 million estate in Hollywood Hills – which has a game room, wine cellar, gym, infinity pool and a spa.
It has five bedroom and seven bathrooms with 13,500 square feet of living space.
And the other was a $4 million mansion with views of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Perhaps banking on his luck holding, the property is just a short distance from a gas station where he bought his Powerball ticket in Altadena.
The 1953 home is Japanese style, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms.
It has a saltwater pool, a cinema and a massive garage for more than a dozen flash cars.
His new lifestyle also features 24/7 security.
He is reported to have employed three bodyguards who look after him round the clock.
Edwin’s staggering lifestyle is a major upgrade on his one-bedroom home – with the moneybags being a former high school athlete studied architecture.
He was described by TMZ as a “quiet guy with a kind heart”.
Since his massive win, Edwin has not done any interviews – but did gave a statement via Powerball.
“As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system,” he said.
“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.
“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.”