Powerball winner Edwin Castro’s Malibu home torched by LA fires as celebrities pick up the pieces
Powerball winner Edwin Castro’s Malibu home was left in ruins by the Palisade Fire and is just one of many celebrity homes that went up in flames.
The 31-year-old hit the $2 billion jackpot in November 2022 and used his winnings to buy a pair of luxury homes for himself and a five-bedroom, five-bathroom home for his parents in Altadena for $4 million.
But as the Palisades Fire raged, Castro’s impressive $3.8 million Malibu home was scorched into a devastating pile of smoldering concrete and wood.
Concrete and wooden plank pillars were all that remained where the 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath home once stood.
As waves lapped over the rubble of Castro’s home, which the lottery winner bought in September 2023, the fires continue to threaten homes throughout the area.
Many celebrities have already made sad announcements of their own devastating losses.
Paris Hilton watched her $8.4 million Malibu beach house “burn to the ground” on live television.
The 43-year-old TV personality returned emotionally to the charred remains of the building and shared a heartbreaking video on Instagram on Thursday.
Left shocked, Paris wrote: ‘I stand here in what used to be our house, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.’
Pictured: The charred remains where Edwin Castro’s $3.8 million Malibu once stood
Concrete and wood plank pillars were all that remained where the 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath home once stood
Castro had purchased the oceanfront property in September 2023
‘When I first saw the news I was completely shocked; I couldn’t process it. But now that I’m standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, I feel like my heart has been broken into a million pieces.”
The star said the house was “not just a place to live – it was the place where we dreamed, laughed and created the most beautiful memories as a family.”
“It was where Phoenix’s little hands created art that I will cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner. To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.”
Hilton added that her heart continues to break “knowing this isn’t just my story.”
Actor Jeff Bridges was also recently revealed to have joined the growing list of Hollywood figures whose homes have been destroyed after his family’s Malibu home was reduced to ashes.
A heartbreaking moment saw General Hospital star Cameron Mathison in tears as he talked about returning to the ruins of his California home.
‘I can’t sleep. I’ve lost everything I own. “I have this hoodie that I’m wearing, a pair of pants and two pairs of sneakers, that’s it,” he told GMA on Thursday. “But it is obviously important to focus on what we have and what we can be grateful for.”
Actor Adam Brody and Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester also fell victim to the wildfires after their home in the Pacific Palisades was reduced to ruins.
Castro won the $2 billion jackpot in November 2022 and used his winnings to buy a pair of luxury homes for himself and a five-bedroom, five-bathroom home for his parents in Altadena for $4 million.
The remains of Paris Hilton’s Malibu beach house have also been seen in shocking footage, as she said in a heartbreaking statement that she was left in ‘complete shock’.
The TV personality, 43, confirmed she saw the $8.4 million property ‘burn to the ground live on TV’
Mel Gibson, 69, remembers coming home to ‘nothing’ after his $14.5 million Malibu mansion burned down while he was filming Joe Rogan’s podcast in Texas
Photos showed the collapsed roof, flames tearing through rooms and black smoke pouring from shattered windows.
Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes, James Wood, Billy Crystal and Ben Affleck all also went up in flames as the devastating fires continued to rage through the area.
Mel Gibson recalled returning to “nothing” after his $14.5 million Malibu mansion burned down while he was filming a podcast with Joe Rogan in Texas.
While filming the podcast, Gibson said he knew his neighborhood was on fire and wondered if his house was still standing.
Mel began: “It’s obviously a bit devastating. It’s emotional.’
He added, “I was doing the Rogan podcast… And [I was] kind of awkward while we were talking because I knew my neighborhood was on fire so I thought I wonder if my house is still there.
‘But when I got home, it wasn’t there. I went home and said to myself, at least I don’t have any of those annoying sewer problems anymore.
“I had a lot of personal things there that, you know, I can’t get back…
Gibson said he is ‘devastated’ that his home has been destroyed by the horrific bushfires
Jeff’s neighbors also face devastation as their neighboring homes in Malibu are burned by the California wildfires
“All kinds of things, everything from photos to files to, you know, you know, just personal things that I’ve had over the years, and clothes, you know, pretty cool stuff, you know, but you know, that’s all possible have been replaced.
“These are just things. And the good thing, the good news is that, you know, the people in my family and the ones I love are all doing well, and we’re all happy and healthy and there’s no danger. That’s really all I can worry about.’
The destruction comes just months after Castro stepped up security at his Hollywood Hills home, with reports of drones flying over the estate after his profits were called into question.
Last September, after 43-year-old Jose Rivera accused Castro of stealing the winning Powerball ticket, an LA County judge dismissed the case, allowing him to keep his winnings.
“Players are solely responsible for securing their tickets against theft, loss, damage or destruction,” the judge said in documents obtained by TMZ.
‘The person in possession of a winning ticket is the presumed owner/winner.’
Rivera reported to Pasadena police that Castro had “stolen” the winning ticket from him.
Police and California Lottery investigators tried to find out if the alleged crime had occurred, but he has since been charged with filing a false police report.
Jose Rivera (pictured), 43, claimed the $2 billion jackpot Castro won was his
Rivera claimed the ticket was stolen by his former landlord “Reggie,” also known as Urachi F. Romero.
Romero said The New York Post that he saw Rivera with the winning ticket on November 7, the same night he claimed to have purchased it at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California.
He also claimed that he later received threats from Rivera, but insisted that he did not steal the ticket and that he did not know Castro.
After his victory in 2022, Castro had opted for the lump sum, which amounted to $997 million after taxes.
He bought the now-burned beachfront home along Pacific Coast Highway in 2023.
The home was part of his incredible multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio, including a $25.5 million estate in the Hollywood Hills, the $4 million home in Malibu and a 4,000-square-foot home for his parents in Altadena, which was unscathed by the Eaton fire.
The raging fires have killed at least 10 people and torched thousands of buildings, officials said.
Many of the towering fires that started Tuesday were fanned by powerful Santa Ana winds, which gushed at more than 75 miles per hour in some places.
Flames rise from the Sunset Fire in the hills overlooking the Hollywood district of Los Angeles
Homes along Malibu Beach have been damaged by the Palisades Fire
Winds eased Thursday, but the National Weather Service warned that even the reduced gusts could still spread the fire quickly.
Governor Gavin Newsom said California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighters to battle the blazes. Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona sent teams to help.
AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impacts, increased its estimate of damage and economic loss to $135 billion to $150 billion. Government officials have not yet released damage estimates.