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CAR LOVER
Powerball billionaire Edwin Castro’s mystery date shows off her convertible Mustang before hopping in his $500k Porsche
Despite his new blonde beauty by his side, Castro is still facing a lawsuit over his Powerball ticket
EDWIN Castro's mystery date showed off her Mustang convertible to the ex-mechanic turned Powerball billionaire a day after their steamy outing.
Castro and his blonde date spent much of the weekend together, enjoying an elegant dinner at a Malibu hotspot before being pictured in public at a charming coffee shop west of Los Angeles.
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The U.S. Sun obtained exclusive pictures of the pair at the renowned Japanese restaurant Nobu on the night of July 6 before being photographed together again on Sunday morning wearing the same clothes.
The pair flashed giant smiles for the cameras on Saturday evening as they jumped into Castro's $500,000 Porsche, exchanged a passionate kiss, and sped off into the nightlife.
The following morning, Castro and his date returned to the Malibu eatery to retrieve the woman's car.
In a 30-second video obtained by The U.S. Sun, the woman shows the former mechanic her Mustang convertible that sat in the parking lot.
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The woman pulls on the driver-side door handle as if to check if the car is locked and briefly chats with Castro.
Moments later, the pair returns to Castro's exotic sports car as he opens the door for the woman, who jumps back inside.
A grinning Castro is seen walking around the back of his Porsche, entering the driver's, and driving away.
The couple dashed to Cafe on 27, a scenic coffee shop west of Los Angeles.
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Exclusive photos showed Castro and the woman exiting the coffee shop with his right arm slightly around her waist.
The pair appeared to have been accompanied by a member of Castro's 24/7 security team.
Castro hired three security guards to protect him and his assets around the clock, according to The New York Post.
Security company Global Risk Soulutions, Inc., which is not protecting the Powerball winner, reports the price for security can cost between $85 and $215 per hour for one bodyguard.
Castro could be fitting a bill of around $21,000 a week for the trio's service, the outlet reported.
A source told The U.S. Sun that Castro rarely drives himself on outings unless he's in one of his vintage vehicles and is often chauffeured by a member of his security entourage.
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'YOU'RE GOING DOWN, CASTRO'
Meanwhile, Castro's legal battle with foe, Jose Rivera, is still ongoing.
Rivera, 49, sued Castro in February 2023, claiming the $2 billion Powerball ticket was stolen from him.
The plaintiff claims his ex-landlord, Urachi "Reggie" Romero, swiped the ticket before handing it over to Castro and benefiting from it.
Castro's lawyer has repeatedly denied Rivera's claims, insisting the lotto winner has never met either of the men.
Romero also told The U.S. Sun he has never profited from the win.
However, Rivera has continued his stubborn fight and refuses to back down from his claims.
Pasadena cops have even charged Rivera with filing a false police report after an investigation into the claims about the Powerball ticket determined that he wasted the department's time and resources on frivolous reports.
Rivera, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, told The U.S. Sun he'll fight tooth and nail to prove he's the rightful owner of the billion-dollar ticket.
"I'm the rightful winner, and Castro is the fake one, the liar, lying a** b****d," he told The U.S. Sun in January.
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"I'm ready for the fight for the world with Castro, I'm excited. He's gonna see it for himself, he's gonna be in shock at what's coming to him.
"I'll see you soon in court, Castro. Liar. You're going down, Castro."
Edwin Castro's Powerball win timeline
When and why Castro got sued
On November 7, 2022, Castro bought a winning Powerball ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California.
The grand prize was $2.04 billion at the time - the largest 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 released, but little information was known about the former mechanic.
In May 2023, Jose Rivera, a gardener from California, filed a lawsuit claiming that he was the rightful owner of the golden ticket.
Rivera claimed his former landlord Urachi F. Romero stole the ticket before it ended up in Castro's hands.
Since filing the suit, Rivera has been charged with filing a false police report and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by a judge.
However, Rivera pleaded not guilty to the charge, passed the evaluation, and continues to defend his story.