Man Who Won The Lottery 14 Times Explains The Simple Math Trick He Used To Beat The Odds

A man who has won the lottery an unbelievable 14 times has shared the surprisingly straightforward math he used to pull it off. His story proves that sometimes, success comes down to logic rather than luck.

For most people, the odds of winning big in a lottery are almost impossible to overcome. For example, the chance of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot is about one in 302.5 million—a number so small that it might as well be zero for the average player.

With odds like that, it’s no wonder that most people never expect to win a major jackpot in their lifetime. But one man found a way to turn those odds in his favor through clever calculation and patience.

Stefan Mandel, a Romanian economist, managed to beat the lottery system not once, but 14 different times. His wins have become legendary among mathematicians and gamblers alike, largely because his approach was based on pure math rather than luck or intuition.

Mandel developed what he called a “simple math formula” that allowed him to find the most efficient way to play. It wasn’t an overnight success, though—it took him years of trial, error, and financial risk to perfect his plan.

His strategy relied on forming a lottery syndicate—a large group of investors who would pool their money to buy thousands of lottery tickets at once. By purchasing enough tickets to cover every possible number combination, the group dramatically increased their chances of winning at least one major prize.

You'd think the lottery is purely a game of luck Getty Stock Photo

The first big test of Mandel’s method came in Romania, where he and his syndicate won about $19,000. After splitting the money, Mandel walked away with roughly $4,000—enough to move his family to Australia and start a new life.

From there, he established what became known as the International Lotto Fund (ILF), which continued refining his strategy. Using the same mathematical system, the ILF went on to win the lottery a total of 14 times in multiple countries, including Australia, the United States, and Romania.

While the group didn’t always hit the jackpot, their consistent wins earned them millions of dollars in total and cemented Mandel’s reputation as the man who outsmarted the odds.

Although Mandel’s tactics weren’t technically illegal, they attracted a lot of attention from authorities. His repeated success led to investigations by major international agencies, including the CIA and the FBI, who suspected foul play.

After years of scrutiny, both Mandel and the ILF were cleared of any wrongdoing. Still, the lengthy legal process drained his finances and left him fighting to recover from the costs of defending his methods.

Despite eventually being acquitted, the ordeal took its toll. Mandel spent years navigating court cases and financial trouble before he finally moved on from the world of lotteries altogether.

Mandel has won the lottery 14 times X/Stefan Mandel

In 1995—just three years after securing a $27 million jackpot—Mandel filed for bankruptcy. The win had been one of his biggest, but it came with mounting costs and the end of an era. Over the next decade, he shifted his focus toward investment projects, though many of them stirred controversy.

At the core of his lottery system was a method he described as “combinatorial condensation.” It involved calculating every possible number combination and purchasing tickets accordingly, essentially covering all outcomes. The idea worked so well that it forced the United States and other countries to change their lottery laws to prevent others from copying it.

New regulations were soon introduced banning bulk ticket purchases and restricting computer-generated ticket programs—measures designed to make sure no one could repeat Mandel’s mathematical takeover of the system.

So, if you were planning to replicate Mandel’s lottery trick for yourself, you’re out of luck.

His strategy was so effective that governments had to rewrite the rules.

Today, no player can buy tickets in the same volume or with the same automation he once used, making Mandel’s story a one-of-a-kind example of how numbers can outsmart chance.