A man, famed for his extraordinary luck, has managed to win the lottery an impressive 14 times by using a mathematical approach he developed over time.
Typically, the odds of hitting the jackpot in a lottery are incredibly low, with the Mega Millions offering a one in 302.5 million chance. Such odds make it improbable for most people to win a significant amount during their lifetime.
Stefan Mandel, however, defied these odds by winning the lottery 14 times. Despite the common perception that lotteries are purely games of chance, Mandel approached it differently by employing ‘simple math’ to work out a strategy that took years to perfect.
His approach involved forming a lottery syndicate where people collectively pooled their resources to purchase a large number of tickets, thus enhancing their chances of winning.
In one instance, the syndicate secured a prize of $19,000, which allowed Mandel to pocket nearly $4,000. This amount was sufficient for him to move his family from Romania to Australia.
The group, known as the International Lotto Fund (ILF), went on to secure 14 lottery victories. Although they didn’t always hit the jackpot, their system still yielded significant winnings across different countries, including the US, Australia, and Romania.
While Mandel’s methods were not illegal, they did raise eyebrows and attracted scrutiny from authorities and international bodies like the CIA and the FBI. These agencies investigated him and the ILF for any potential wrongdoing.
In the end, both Mandel and the ILF were exonerated.
Mandel faced a lengthy legal battle, and although he was cleared of all charges, the process led to severe financial difficulties.
The lottery mastermind declared bankruptcy in 1995, three years after winning a $27 million jackpot, and subsequently spent a decade involved in various investment schemes.
His tactic, termed ‘combinatorial condensation,’ relied on ensuring the cost of purchasing tickets for every possible combination was less than the jackpot. This led to the US implementing laws to prevent such strategies.
New lottery regulations were introduced to stop players from buying tickets in bulk or using computer-generated tickets, making it impossible to replicate Mandel’s success.
Unfortunately, for those hoping to test similar strategies, the opportunity has now passed.