In the 1990s, Romanian-Australian mathematician and economist Stefan Mandel and a small group of colleagues did the almost impossible: they won the lottery not once, but 14 times.

When math replaces “lucky numbers”

Unlike most players, Mandel does not believe in “lucky numbers”. Instead, he built a calculation system, first applied in Romania and then brought to Australia and the US.

According to IFLScience , everyone knows that the chances of winning the jackpot are extremely low. With EuroMillions, for example, the probability of winning is only 1 in 139.8 million. Buying another ticket only increases the chances slightly.

Mathematician Mandel saw another approach: If you buy all the combinations, you’re almost guaranteed to win. The problem isn’t math, it’s logistics—how to raise enough capital, print millions of tickets, and then buy them all.

He also discovered another important detail: There are draws where the jackpot is three times the cost of buying all the tickets. In that case, if you pool enough capital, the risk is almost zero and the profit is almost certain.

Raise capital, print tickets and wait for the right moment

It took Mandel years to convince investors to invest in his idea. Once he had the money, he wrote an algorithm to create and print tickets en masse—something that some lottery companies still allowed at the time.

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At the age of 83, after winning the jackpot 14 times around the world and being banned from every casino in the UK, Stefan Mandel returned to his homeland. Photo: Mako

His team only "acted" when the jackpot reached an attractive enough size. They had won small wins in Australia before turning their attention to the US market. The biggest target was the Virginia state lottery, which had only 7,059,052 combinations - far fewer than other games.

When the jackpot reached $15.5 million, Mandel put his plan into action. After two days of “cleaning out” the store, the group bought 6.4 million tickets – not enough for 100%, but fortunately including the winning ticket.

Glory comes with trouble

Mandel's big win in Virginia immediately put him on the radar of the FBI and CIA. However, his play did not violate any laws at the time. He was cleared, although lottery rules were later tightened, banning home printing and bulk buying.

No one knows exactly how much Mandel pocketed after deducting expenses and distributing profits to investors, but it was certainly huge. During his career, he and his partner won the lottery 14 times, bringing in millions of dollars.

“Mathematical formula” summarized in 6 steps

According to the Independent , Mandel's strategy can be boiled down to six steps:

- Calculate the number of possible combinations. For example, a lottery that picks 6 numbers from 1 to 40 has 3,838,380 combinations.

- Only participate when the jackpot is at least 3 times the total cost of purchasing all tickets.

- Raising capital from investors - he once called for 2,500 people.

- Print tickets covering the entire complex.

- Bring tickets to official agents for validity.

- Receive the prize and share the profit. For example, in 1987 he won 1.3 million USD but only kept about 97,000 USD after dividing.

Today, both the US and Australia have changed their laws, banning home printing and restricting bulk purchases, so Mandel’s “trick” is almost impossible to replicate.

"Lottery millionaire" lives in seclusion

After the spotlight, Mandel retreated and chose a peaceful life in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. In 2023, he reappeared at the age of 83, sharing more about his journey to "crack" the lottery, the assets he accumulated and his efforts to clear his name after investigations. However, he later retreated to a private life.

Financial experts say: Winning the lottery can turn a person into a millionaire overnight, but keeping the wealth is the big challenge. Winners should form a “financial trio” including a lawyer, a tax expert and an investment advisor to manage money scientifically, avoiding financial crisis or bankruptcy.

Stefan Mandel’s story shows that with mathematics, daring and discipline, even the most risky game can be turned into a “solvable problem.” However, this is not a strategy for the majority, but a testament to the power of science and logical thinking in solving problems that seem to rely solely on luck.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nha-toan-hoc-trung-so-14-lan-nho-kha-nang-tinh-toan-dac-biet-2436454.html