The man who won the lottery 14 times without cheating. His trick was so simple that it was eventually banned

Romanian-Australian economist Stefan Mandel targeted lotteries where the jackpot exceeded the cost of covering every combination, using math and logistics to turn the odds in his favor.

He raised investors, printed tickets in bulk, and won a Virginia lottery, drawing investigations from the FBI and CIA.

The scheme triggered rule changes and bans on similar tactics; Mandel later retired, faced financial trouble, and was convicted of securities fraud in Israel.

The story shows how a mathematical edge can make a lottery profitable—until the system changes to close the loophole.