Aussie man wins the lottery 14 TIMES—here’s how he did it!
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Being struck by lightning seems more likely than hitting the lotto jackpot – but not for an Australian mathematician who gambled his way to success 14 times using just basic maths.
Stefan Mandel, a Romanian-Australian maths whizz, unlocked an extraordinarily simple formula in the 1980s and '90s, allowing him and his small team of investors to keep winning almost every single lotto they entered!
But where did he start?
Mandel began his quest to beat the odds in Romania, where he slowly saved up enough money to escape the then-communist country. It was only afterwards that the mathematician decided to move to Australia, taking his wisdom with him and multiplying his odds in the lottos Down Under.
What Mr Mandel discovered is a formula so easy to comprehend and implement it made winning the lotto 14 times look like child's play. And if you're curious to find out just how he did it, whether it was illegal or not, and why he suddenly retired, read on!
Mr Mandel discovered that in certain lotteries, the value of the jackpot prize exceeded the total cost of purchasing every possible combination of lotto numbers.
To illustrate, let's take the Australian Powerball as an example. If you were to buy two tickets, your odds would improve to 2 in 76,767,600. However, if you were to purchase 76,767,600 tickets, the problem would shift from a mathematical one to a logistical one.
Mandel utilised algorithms to generate and print the millions of tickets required to obtain such a massive quantity of tickets. Over the course of several years, he enlisted investors who would purchase these tickets whenever the jackpot reached a substantial amount.
While it is undeniable that he possessed a significant advantage over other players, this approach was not considered cheating at the time. As a result, Stefan Mandel went on to win an astonishing 12 lotteries in Australia.
However, the safest bet sometimes turns out to be the riskiest one. With US jackpots boasting far higher rewards, Mr Mandel decided to take on the American lotteries – and this was his downfall.
Particularly enticed by the Virginia Lottery, as its draws only used numbers 1 to 44, Mr Mandel organised for his team to buy out every single ticket. But when one lotto agency suffered a mechanical breakdown and couldn't quite process all of them, the odds decidedly shifted in the wrong direction.
In spite of the mishap, Mr Mandel and his team still bagged millions of dollars in the Virginia Lottery, and distributors had no choice but to pay up. Although he was investigated by multiple authorities, no wrongdoing was found.
Afterwards, Stefan Mandel divided his winnings between his investors and promptly retired to a beach home on the tropical island of Vanuatu. Something tells us he knew this could be his last big victory, so he took off while he was ahead.
However, it was reported that in 1995, Mr Mandel filed for bankruptcy.
Today, lotteries have evolved into highly advanced systems, making it nearly impossible to replicate the same strategy used by Mr Mandel. While luck undoubtedly plays a significant role in any form of gambling, this tale of an Australian mathematician serves as a living testament that basic mathematics can still take you a long way.
What are your thoughts on this captivating story, members? Do you frequently test your luck in the lottery? Have you ever experienced the thrill of victory? Is it merely a matter of chance, or do you possess a secret formula for success? We eagerly await your valuable insights and stories in the comments section below!
Stefan Mandel, a Romanian-Australian maths whizz, unlocked an extraordinarily simple formula in the 1980s and '90s, allowing him and his small team of investors to keep winning almost every single lotto they entered!
But where did he start?
Mandel began his quest to beat the odds in Romania, where he slowly saved up enough money to escape the then-communist country. It was only afterwards that the mathematician decided to move to Australia, taking his wisdom with him and multiplying his odds in the lottos Down Under.
What Mr Mandel discovered is a formula so easy to comprehend and implement it made winning the lotto 14 times look like child's play. And if you're curious to find out just how he did it, whether it was illegal or not, and why he suddenly retired, read on!
Aussie man Stefan Mandel struck gold 14 times using very basic maths. Credit: YouTube/paulwherbert.
Mr Mandel discovered that in certain lotteries, the value of the jackpot prize exceeded the total cost of purchasing every possible combination of lotto numbers.
To illustrate, let's take the Australian Powerball as an example. If you were to buy two tickets, your odds would improve to 2 in 76,767,600. However, if you were to purchase 76,767,600 tickets, the problem would shift from a mathematical one to a logistical one.
Mandel utilised algorithms to generate and print the millions of tickets required to obtain such a massive quantity of tickets. Over the course of several years, he enlisted investors who would purchase these tickets whenever the jackpot reached a substantial amount.
While it is undeniable that he possessed a significant advantage over other players, this approach was not considered cheating at the time. As a result, Stefan Mandel went on to win an astonishing 12 lotteries in Australia.
However, the safest bet sometimes turns out to be the riskiest one. With US jackpots boasting far higher rewards, Mr Mandel decided to take on the American lotteries – and this was his downfall.
Particularly enticed by the Virginia Lottery, as its draws only used numbers 1 to 44, Mr Mandel organised for his team to buy out every single ticket. But when one lotto agency suffered a mechanical breakdown and couldn't quite process all of them, the odds decidedly shifted in the wrong direction.
In spite of the mishap, Mr Mandel and his team still bagged millions of dollars in the Virginia Lottery, and distributors had no choice but to pay up. Although he was investigated by multiple authorities, no wrongdoing was found.
Afterwards, Stefan Mandel divided his winnings between his investors and promptly retired to a beach home on the tropical island of Vanuatu. Something tells us he knew this could be his last big victory, so he took off while he was ahead.
However, it was reported that in 1995, Mr Mandel filed for bankruptcy.
Today, lotteries have evolved into highly advanced systems, making it nearly impossible to replicate the same strategy used by Mr Mandel. While luck undoubtedly plays a significant role in any form of gambling, this tale of an Australian mathematician serves as a living testament that basic mathematics can still take you a long way.
What are your thoughts on this captivating story, members? Do you frequently test your luck in the lottery? Have you ever experienced the thrill of victory? Is it merely a matter of chance, or do you possess a secret formula for success? We eagerly await your valuable insights and stories in the comments section below!
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