He spent years examining possible number combinations which would then lead to millions in winnings
He spent years examining possible number combinations which would then lead to millions in winnings
Maria Ortega and Fiona Callingham Lifestyle writer
00:30, 14 Dec 2025
A mathematician has disclosed how he managed to win the lottery an astonishing 14 times. The 91-year-old utilised mathematical probability and calculated strategies to consistently claim jackpots over years.
The likelihood of winning the lottery is universally recognised as exceptionally slim. Picking the winning numbers is typically regarded as down to chance alone.
However, Stefan Mandel, who was born in Romania, worked out a method to beat these seemingly impossible odds. Born into poverty in 1934, he was prevented from pursuing formal education in mathematics, instead taking up work as an accountant earning just £88 per month.
Yet during his weekends off, he immersed himself in his passion for numbers, with particular emphasis on the Fibonacci sequence. One night, while viewing a lottery draw on television, something sparked his curiosity.
Stefan began to spot recurring patterns. According to Spanish news outlet El Español, he then spent years examining possible number combinations, eventually developing what he called “combinatorial condensation” – a numerical selection algorithm.
Using this method, he could reliably predict at least five of the drawn numbers, leaving just two to chance. As a result, the probability shifted from one in millions to one in thousands.
In March 1965, he partnered with a colleague who provided the capital in exchange for an 80/20 split of any prize money. Their first attempt proved spectacularly successful.
They secured the top prize in addition to several smaller wins, bringing their total haul to $20,000. Although Stefan’s share amounted to just $4,000, he had proven his numerical strategy could deliver results.
Several years later, Mandel relocated to Australia, where he founded a lottery investment firm after convincing a number of investors to back his venture. The underlying concept was simple: as long as the combined cost of purchasing tickets remained lower than the jackpot prize, profits were assured.
By 1982, Stefan’s enterprise had claimed 12 Australian jackpots, amassing millions and attracting the attention of governmental authorities. In 1989, Mandel relocated to Virginia in the United States with his family, drawn by the state’s lottery structure, which contained several favourable legal gaps.
The arrangement allowed for unlimited ticket purchases, home-based printing, and offered a pool of “only” 44 numbers instead of the usual 54. This final factor was crucial as it brought the potential combinations down from 25 million to just seven million.
By February 1992, the Virginia prize had grown to exceed $27 million. Stefan then rallied 2,500 investors, raising over $9 million and managing to produce nearly every conceivable combination on his tickets.
Consequently, Stefan secured not just the top prize but an additional $6 million through secondary wins, amassing $33 million in total from a $9 million investment. “Using maths correctly guarantees a fortune,” he observed at the time.
Stefan’s exploits garnered worldwide press coverage and drew scrutiny from both the FBI and CIA. Nevertheless, similar to their Australian counterparts, they discovered no criminal wrongdoing in his approach.
The former accountant’s methods did prompt modifications to lottery regulations though. Restrictions were introduced on the number of tickets individuals could buy, purchases were limited to in-person transactions, substantial investments were banned, and the randomisation mechanisms were enhanced.
These alterations brought Stefan’s winning run to a halt. He attempted to replicate his strategy in various nations, including Israel and the UK, but failed owing to more stringent rules.
He ultimately made his home on an island in Vanuatu, situated in the South Pacific, where he ventured into property development. Unfortunately, this enterprise hasn’t proceeded smoothly as he has remained entangled in a legal battle with his investors for several years.
According to The Independent, here’s the six-step formula for how Stefan succeeded in generating substantial wealth from the lottery:
- Calculate the total number of possible combinations. (For a lottery that requires you to pick six numbers from one to 40, that means 3,838,380 combinations)
- Find lotteries where the jackpot is three times or more the number of possible combinations.
- Raise enough cash to pay for each combination. (Mandel rounded up 2,524 investors for his push to win the Virginia lottery)
- Print out millions of tickets with every combination. (This used to be legal. Now you would have to buy the tickets right from the store)
- Deliver the tickets to authorised lottery dealers.
- Win the cash. And don’t forget to pay your investors. (Mandel pocketed only $97,000 [£74,000] after a $1.3m [£1m] win in 1987)
