PICTURED: Kindly California grandfather, 65, whose lotto syndicate won $1.57 BILLION jackpot – as neighbor says windfall ‘couldn’t have happened to a better guy’
A California grandfather whose lottery syndicate won $1.57 billion has been photographed for the first time, with neighbors saying it ‘couldn’t have happened to a better man’.
Theodorus Struyck, 65, was identified in a California Lottery news release as the representative of the group of winners who purchased the ticket at Frazier Park.
The group walked away with $1.765 billion after last October’s drawing, making it the second-largest lottery jackpot in US history.
Struyck, also known as Theo, is originally from Hawaii and is retired after working for UPS.
He lives with his wife Laura in a town of 3,000 inhabitants in a single-family home of 1,100 square meters, where he has lived for at least ten years.
Theodorus Struyck, 65, was identified in a California Lottery press release as the representative of the group of winners who purchased the ticket at Frazier Park
The group walked away with $1.765 billion after last October’s drawing, making it the second-largest lottery jackpot in US history.
Neighbor Kevin Woten, who has lived in Frazier Park for more than 20 years, said he has not seen Struyck in days.
“When I heard Theo had won, I thought, ‘This couldn’t have happened to a better man,’” Woten said.
“He is a family man and enjoys spending time with his grandchildren. He loves the children. He is a very nice person and always seems happy. I imagine he has a lot of ideas about what he wants to do with the money.”
He said the last long conversation he had with Struyck took place after the recent devastating fires in Maui.
Woten believes Struyck did not have family directly affected by the fires, but the native Hawaiian was distraught over the lives lost and destruction.
Sturyck has a son in the U.S. Marines and is based in San Diego, where the ticket was cashed.
He is also said to be an avid fisherman, with a small boat parked outside his garage.
Neighbor Mary Dreier said she hasn’t seen him in a few days. She said: “He is a really nice person and is enjoying his retirement.
“I knew the winner had claimed the ticket in San Diego, which was very smart. Kudos to him!’
Another neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said all the media attention has driven Struyck away from the quiet mountain town.
He lives in a town of 3,000 inhabitants in a single-family home of 110 square meters, seen here, with his wife Laura, after living there for at least ten years.
Since the victory, a private property notice has been placed on the home he shares with his wife
Midway Market, a family-owned business in town, had sold the ticket to the syndicate
Owner, Nidal ‘Andy’ Khalil, told DailyMail.com that Struyck comes to his store at least two to three times a week
The last time she saw him was about five days ago, when he put up a “no trespassing” sign.
Midway Market, a family-owned business in town, had sold the ticket to the syndicate.
Owner Nidal “Andy” Khalil told DailyMail.com that Struyck comes to his store at least two to three times a week.
He said that Struyck came to the store on Thursday, but that he had not yet congratulated him personally.
Khalil said that because no one had come forward for five months, he was afraid the ticket had been lost.
“I was sure someone local had bought the ticket, and I’m so glad they did,” Khalil told DailyMail.com.
Jonathan Khalil, left, and Chris Khalil, sons of the store’s co-owners, hold up a ceremonial check after the winning $1.765 billion Powerball ticket was sold
Neighbors of Struyck have told DailyMail.com that they are happy that the grandfather describes him as ‘a very nice family man’
The winning numbers were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball 10
‘I’m really happy that someone has finally claimed the win as I thought the ticket might have been lost or the winner might have washed it in the wash.
“I don’t get that many customers from out of town, so I thought it would be someone local.”
Khalil added that he is happy that the winners have finally announced themselves after October’s drawing made national headlines.
Khalil and his family also received $1 million for the sale of the winning ticket. He said business is “back to normal” in the sleepy town of about 3,100.
California Lottery Director Harjinder K. Shergill Chima said, “Announcing big wins like this gives all of our players the opportunity to hope and dream that they can be next.
“But it also gives us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on our great mission of generating additional, complementary funding for public education in California.”
The huge payout is the second-largest lottery prize in US history, following Edwin Castro’s $2.04 billion Powerball win in California in November 2022.
Castro has subsequently made a number of lavish real estate purchases, fueling speculation about who the latest winner of the country’s billionaire lottery could be.
He is currently involved in a dispute over ownership of the ticket, with Jose Rivera claiming that he won it and that Castro stole the ticket.
Castro chose the lump sum option after winning $2.04 billion in November 2022, bringing the total to $997 million after taxes.