POWERBALL winner Edwin Castro was photographed having dinner with a close friend of the Kardashians as he enjoys his newfound fame.
Castro, the most successful Powerball winner of all time, was spotted dining at an upscale restaurant in Beverly Hills, California.
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He was photographed greeting Jonathan Cheban, aka Food God, outside a chic Hollywood hotspot, Novikov restaurant.
Cheban is an entrepreneur and former publicist.
He is very close to the Kardashian family and often appears on their reality shows.
The two were seen leaving Nokivov at the same time and talking to each other while waiting for the valet.
Read more about Edwin Castro
Cheban then left Nokivov and ventured to the Birds Street Café.
Castro rose to fame after winning an incredible $2.04 billion in the Powerball lottery.
Since then, he has been constantly in the spotlight and has experienced many ups and downs.
KARDASHIAN ALLY
Fans of the Kardashians met Cheban on the family’s E! reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
Kim also served as executive producer of his short-lived reality show “The Spin Crowd,” which followed the employee at Cheban’s entertainment agency, Command PR.
The series premiered in 2010 but only ran for one season.
Kim and Cheban’s friendship dates back to the early 2000s, when they met through Paris and Nicky Hilton.
They met at a birthday party thrown by Brittny Gastineau, the daughter of former New York Jets player Mark Gastineau.
Cheban spoke exclusively to The US Sun in April about his best friend Kim’s most embarrassing public moment.
He revealed that Prince once forced Kim to go on stage in 2011.
She accompanied the late pop star on stage at Madison Square Garden to dance with him.
However, Prince was not impressed by her stage presence and quickly sent her back to her seat.
Cheban told the US Sun at the Coachella concert that he never wanted to go on stage with an artist again after Kim’s embarrassing failure.
In addition to his famous friends and PR expertise, Cheban is also a self-confessed foodie, hence his nickname.
He frequently shares food-related content and also owns an ice cream brand called Cold Case.
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SCANDAL CONCERNING THE CASTRO FAMILY
Castro’s cousins Jean Pierre Castro and Byron Castro Jr. were accused of stealing vintage cars and pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The cousins ran a classic car dealership in Laguna Beach, California, but now face criminal and civil charges for theft.
Jean was accused of multiple counts of grand theft, car theft and white collar crime.
Byron is facing charges related to false or forged documents.
At least two civil lawsuits have also been filed against the couple by alleged victims of the crimes.
Castro’s lawyer had previously told the US Sun that he was shocked to learn of his cousin’s allegations.
“Edwin Castro was completely surprised when he learned of the allegations against Jean Pierre and Byron Castro,” said his lawyer Michael G. Freedman.
“He was not involved in any way in the transactions and affairs that gave rise to the charges, and he is in the process of reconsidering his relationship with them.”
Castro’s cousins made their first public appearance on August 5.
They wore matching dark suits, green-tinted face shields and black masks.
The couple tried to hide their faces as they arrived at the courthouse in a black SUV.
They reportedly removed their masks as they entered the courtroom.
It is believed that Castro’s interest in vintage cars led him to form a closer friendship with his cousins.
He was spotted hiking with Jean in July with his girlfriend Payten Vincent.
Timeline of Edwin Castro’s Powerball Winnings
When and why Castro was sued
On November 7, 2022, Castro purchased a winning Powerball ticket at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.
The grand prize at the time was $2.04 billion – the highest in US history.
On February 14, 2023, the California Lottery announced Castro’s win, and he took home a one-time lump sum payment of $997.6 million.
Castro’s identity was revealed, but little information was known about the former mechanic.
In May 2023, Jose Rivera, a California gardener, filed a lawsuit claiming he was the rightful owner of the Golden Ticket.
Rivera claimed that his former landlord, Urachi F. Romero, stole the ticket before it fell into Castro’s hands.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Rivera has been charged with making false statements to police and has been ordered by a judge to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
However, Rivera pleaded not guilty to the charges, passed the evaluation, and continues to defend his story.
BILLION DOLLAR LOVE
Castro seems to be starting a relationship with a young model and a poet.
The couple was first spotted outside the infamous Nobu sushi restaurant in Malibu.
Castro is often photographed leaving posh Los Angeles establishments.
He was first seen when Vincent left Nobu in his Porsche while he returned to his $25.5 million mansion.
Vincent has also shared several photos of himself in his luxurious homes.
They launched their relationship a few weeks later on social media at a Giorgio Armani event at the exclusive Soho House.
Vincent shared a sweet selfie of the two and wrote: “Last night at the @giorgioarmani event at @sohohouse (heart).”
“It seems like they are getting very serious very quickly because she already knows all about his family dynamics and his business affairs,” a source previously told The US Sun.
“He really wants to settle down, he’s obviously not the type for one-night stands.
“She will soon meet the parents and has already met his brother and his girlfriend from high school.”
The two have since been spotted all over Los Angeles, enjoying a lavish lifestyle with Castro’s winnings.
Edwin Castro’s cars
Powerball winner Edwin Castro used his newfound wealth to express his love of new and old cars
Two years ago, Southern California native Edwin Castro worked as a mechanic before winning $2.04 billion in the Powerball lottery.
After taxes, he was left with $628.5 million, leaving him plenty of room to buy his dream cars.
These are the cars in his collection (as of July 2024):
- Porsche 911 G-Series Turbo Coupe from the 1980s, value $135,491
- Porsche 356 Coupé from the 1970s, valued at $250,000
- Gray Ram 1500 TRX 2023 – MSRP: $84,850, although dealers often charge up to six figures
- Volkswagen Kharman Ghia (Black)
- Volkswagen Kharman Ghia (Black)
- Volkswagen Kharman Ghia (Red)
- 2024 Porsche 911 GT2RS, valued at $500,000
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Defending the price
Castro had to defend his Powerball winnings against Los Angeles gardener Jose Rivera, who accused him of stealing the winning ticket.
Rivera claimed that he signed the back of the ticket, but Castro took the winnings.
Previously, the US Sun had published photos of the ticket showing Castro’s signature.
“You know what, the ticket is signed. They deleted my data,” Rivera said.
“If you look closely, you’ll see my phone number there. It’s been erased with chemicals.
“I’m going to tell my defense attorney to take it to a lab so they can run a test and determine what kind of chemicals were used.”
“I know my name and phone number were on the ticket.”
Castro’s lawyers insisted that the winning ticket was rightfully his and denied Rivera’s claims.
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