A man’s mathematical approach to winning the lottery 14 times has impressed many, but it eventually led to legal issues once authorities caught on. Stefan Mandel, an economist from Romania, had to relocate to different countries and assemble a team to execute his strategy, which has now gained attention on TikTok.
Mandel, initially earning a modest salary, transformed his financial situation by winning the lottery twice, which enabled him to immigrate. After moving to Australia, he honed his strategy and secured 12 more wins. His approach centered on meticulously calculating all potential winning combinations and purchasing tickets for draws where the total cost was less than the jackpot amount.
At first, Mandel’s lottery tactics were within the legal boundaries until Australia and the UK banned the purchase of bulk tickets and computer-generated numbers. Undeterred, he shifted his focus to a Virginia lottery with fewer combinations, employing a team to print and mail tickets to the US. Despite achieving success, he became embroiled in a protracted legal dispute that resulted in bankruptcy in 1995, and his strategy was subsequently prohibited in the US. Nonetheless, his innovative approach continues to earn praise online.
Mandel is admired for his ingenuity, as he was banned for his ability to outwit the system. Now retired, he resides on Vanuatu, a tropical island near Australia. His ‘combinatorial condensation’ method is largely prohibited today. Mandel compares taking risks to shaving—there’s a risk of injury, but he does it anyway because the odds are in his favor.