Putting it mildly, Edwin Castro has had a life-changing few months. The Los Angeles suburb of Altadena is home to a Mobil gas station where he bought a winning Powerball ticket in November. He finally received his record-breaking prize last month, taking home a $997.6 million lump sum before taxes.
A little over 30 days later, he’s the proud owner of one of Hollywood Hills’ newest mansions. Jimmy Kimmel, Ariana Grande, and Dakota Johnson are some of his nearest neighbors.
Apart from his status as a long-term resident of Pasadena and its surrounding neighborhoods, little is known about Castro. He did not attend the press conference announcing his win. In addition, he is believed to still be in his early 30s, so he must be relatively young.
As opposed to its owner, Castro’s hillside mansion is aggressively extroverted, displaying its louche design to the peasants below in flagrant public display. The blocky contemporary, which is built into the side of a nearly sheer cliff, has more than 13,000 square feet of living space, including five bedrooms, five baths, and two powder rooms. A discount of nearly $30 million was offered to Castro when he purchased the keys for $25.5 million.
Designed by noted developer Roman James, the sexy contemporary stands three stories high. Located on the main level is a vast central living area anchored by a fireplace and a kitchen with black granite countertops. An infinity pool and outdoor kitchen are part of the fully hardscaped backyard, which has walls of glass.
Featuring masculine colors of gunmetal gray, charcoal and black on the exterior walls, the house is unapologetically austere. As you step inside, however, things begin to get a little softer with touches of beige-toned stone and decadence.
This is especially true of the recreation-themed lower level, which has a gym, a cold plunge pool, a wine cellar, a movie theater, and a sauna. The master suite is located on the penthouse level of the mansion and is complemented by an exotic black-and-white marble bathroom. Rooftop decks are also available.
While the Castro abode sits on a large half-acre lot, a significant portion of the property is unusable hillside. In spite of this, there is plenty of parking – two garages that can house up to seven cars, plus a flat motorcourt for several more. This is a rarity in these densely packed hills. In addition, Castro will be able to save on gardening costs because the estate is essentially landscape-free, except for some drought-tolerant plantings around the front and side.
It’s impossible to compare the house to the surrounding scenery, regardless of how nice it is. In every room of the mansion, you can see the entire Los Angeles skyline, from Downtown skyscrapers to Century City skyscrapers, as well as the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. It’s worth the risk to see that view.
