The “humble,” “family-oriented” grandpa from California recently named the winner of the state’s second-largest jackpot paid off his home and is reportedly in the market for a new million-dollar pad.
Theodore “Theo” Struyck, 65, was named in March as the representative of a group that bought the $1.76 billion Powerball ticket at a market in Frazier Park for the Oct. 11 drawing.
The rest of the crew has remained a mystery, and the ultra-private Struyck has laid low, supposedly staying with family near San Diego.
The retired UPS worker was last seen at his home putting up a “no trespassing” sign, the US Sun reported Saturday, and hadn’t spoken to anyone about the life-changing win.
Records show Struyck paid off his $90,000 home in January, according to the outlet. He then transferred the deed to a new trust named “Opa Can Rest Now,” seemingly using the German word for grandpa.
He has reportedly been house hunting close by his family’s property and was seen viewing a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath house worth $1.5 million that boasts “total privacy and tranquility.”
The home has more than an acre of greenspace and also features a guest house with a private drive, the Sun reported.
It also boasts a separate guest house away from the main property with a private drive.
Strucyk will now have more time for his apparent hobbies and interests which include boating and dirt biking.
In photos obtained by The Sun, a boat is seen alongside two old trucks on Struyck’s small-town property, and he was sporting a T-shirt from an annual motocross race close to his home.
But locals have seen him still driving the same old truck and neighbors say they can’t imagine him buying flashy cars or clothing.
In other photos, he is seen wearing an unassuming ensemble including an “Aloha” hat and camouflage shorts.
Struyck reportedly went to elementary and high school in the Los Angeles area and it is unclear if he went on to attend college. He never married, though is believed to have a long-term partner, The Sun reported.
“We’re so happy for Theo, it’s really wonderful,” neighbor Kevin Woten said last month.
“I’m hoping he’ll look into security,” he added. “You have to with that amount of money.”
Three months before Struyck hit big, Yanira Alvarez bought a winning $1.08 billion ticket at a Los Angeles mini-market. They followed the historic $2.04 billion Golden State win for Edwin Castro back in November 2022.
