The man who won $2B in the Powerball lottery reacted by disappearing from social media and leaving for Fiji, report says

• Edwin Castro won a $2 billion jackpot on the Powerball lottery.
• He took his friends to Fiji before his identity was made public, a report said.

A California man who won a $2 billion jackpot on the Powerball lottery stepped back from social media and took his friends on a luxury vacation to Fiji, The New York Post reported.

Edwin Castro of Los Angeles won the biggest US lottery jackpot of all time in November 2022, with his identity made public under state lottery laws in February.

Just before his identity was revealed, he took friends on a vacation to an exclusive resort in Fiji, the report said, and disappeared on social media.

Castro took the lump sum payout option, meaning his winnings totaled $997 million.

"I noticed he did disappear for a couple of months from his social media after he won, which is smart," a source told The Post.

On his return to the US when his identity was made public, Castro reportedly hired bodyguards for himself and his family, the Post said. He invested his new wealth in a property portfolio, including a $25 million LA mansion, and a fleet of vintage cars, reports say.

Since claiming his winnings, Castro has been battling a lawsuit by Jose Rivera who claims to be the rightful owner of the winning ticket. Rivera claims his landlord Urachi "Reggie" Romero stole the ticket and passed it on to Castro.

Rivera and Castro's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.