Powerball Winner Stories: inspiring success stories

How to turn lottery winnings into a business

After wandering around Europe for four years, Mandel settled in Australia and decided to play the lottery in a new way.

In a typical lottery, a number of numbers are randomly selected from a certain range (let's say, 1-50); if the numbers you marked match the ones you selected in any order, then you hit the jackpot. The probability of winning depends on, how many combinations of these numbers can there be?; we can talk about millions of combinations.

But Mandel noticed something: in certain lotteries, the jackpot could be more than three times the total cost of redeeming all combinations.

Let's say, For example, that in the lottery you need to choose six numbers from 1 to 40. As a result we have 3 838 380 possible combinations of numbers (here is the calculator). Also acceptable, what is the jackpot in the same lottery? $10 millions. Mandel could buy a ticket for each combination for a dollar per ticket.. This would guarantee him victory, and after taxes - a solid profit.

Mandel insisted, that "any, mastered mathematics at the high school level, can calculate these combinations". But this method was accompanied by serious logistical difficulties.. How to withdraw capital? And how to fill hundreds of thousands of tickets?, number after number?

Mandel's system was simple from a mathematical point of view, but incredibly difficult in terms of execution (The Hustle)

Over the years, Mandel has convinced hundreds of investors to create a pool of capital, thus creating a “lottery syndicate”. After that, he developed and assembled a fully functional system, allowing to automate this process. The result is a room, lined with printers and computers; algorithm was executed on computers, pre-filled tickets.

Computers improved, Thanks to this, Mandel revolutionized his method. Previously, all he could do was, what to write out millions of combinations manually, and a single mistake could bury eight months of work; now this work could be delegated to a machine.

The Mandel Syndicate had to bide its time throughout the 1980s., bye jackpot, finally, did not exceed three times the total cost of all possible combinations. Then it was time to buy thousands of tickets. Managed to win 12 lottery (and collect $400k in small prizes) Australia wide. And in 1986 year the trophy was won in $1,1 million.

"Everyone told me: you won't succeed, That's for sure!», - Mandel told a Romanian newspaper at the time, - “now the voices, for a long time making me look like an empty dreamer, I had to calm down".

But Mandel's system soon attracted unwanted attention.. He won and won, which forced the Australian authorities to change the law, prohibiting one person from redeeming all possible combinations in one lottery

He won and won, which forced the Australian authorities to change the law, prohibiting one person from redeeming all possible combinations in one lottery.

So he set himself a bigger goal - one that would make headlines around the world and cause a global headache for lottery organizers..

FAQ

What is the Lisa and John Robinson Method?

Lisa and John Robinson there was no way to win the lottery. John just bought four lottery tickets at my local store and left it to luck. Lisa was That, who insisted on receiving lottery tickets and this is good, what did she do, otherwise they wouldn't be millionaires.

What happened to Lisa and John Robinson?

Lisa and John Robinson now we live in a big house with 10 bedrooms and private lake. The neighbors are talking, What the couple is very private but also stated, that they are still trying to fit in to their new lifestyle.

Are Lisa and John Robinson giving away money??

Although Lisa and John Robinson Maybe, donated money to charity, pair without giving away your fortune to strangers. Any messages about money distribution, more likely, are a scam, and should be reported to local authorities.

Powerball lottery: What is this?

Powerball lottery was invented and developed in the United States of America. Officially, draws take place only in this country.. Tickets can be purchased on site 44 states. Day, when one of the players hits the Jackpot in this lottery, becomes a real sensation and the main news in all prime times.

  • To determine the winner, the organizers use only two balls of different colors: red and white
  • Draws are held every Tuesday and Saturday at the same time - at 18.59 by Moscow time.
  • Tickets can be purchased at any convenient time, but sales close an hour before the drawings.

Not only the main prize is available to players. Every person has the opportunity to benefit from 1 US dollar to 1 million US dollars. It all depends, how many numbers will he guess?. That's why, if you have well-developed intuition, and you are “lucky” in life, it's quite likely, that the American Powerball lottery will make you a real millionaire.

Reaction to winning the jackpot

Lisa watched the drawing live and checked the numbers three times. When she realized, that she won she ran down the corridor screaming with excitement and woke up John. Mr. Robinson then told his wife, what he wait for news the next morning when they say, that there is a winner in Munford.

The next morning the couple saw on the local news, that Munford has a jackpot, and even showed images of a grocery store, where John bought the ticket. Then they decided to call their lawyer.

By talking to your lawyer, John and Lisa called my daughter, to tell her the good news.

Where are Lisa and John Robinson now??

After returning from accepting your big jackpot winThe Robinson family tried to return to normal life. But the neighbors say, that their lives have never been the same.. When Lisa returned to work, she her colleagues suddenly began to treat her differently.

Association The couple's main concern was their home. They had to put up signs on the lawn, to prevent people from entering. Maybe, This is the reason why did the family decide to move to their luxurious home. The big house also has private cinema and eight bathrooms.

Reporters interviewed neighbors to find out, What did the Robinsons do?, but they all said, What family is very private.

Adova logistics

12 February 1992 years - for 3 days before the draw - Alex stayed at the Holiday Inn in Norfolk, state of Virginia and set up a “headquarters” in the nearby Koger Center business park.

In this 88-acre "concrete labyrinth" Alex met a team from 35 couriers, who were hired by Mandel (most of them were chartered accountants) and gave them plastic bags, each of which contained parties of 10 thousands of tickets and stacks of cash receipts worth $10k.

"Imagine, that this is an office sweepstakes", – he allegedly told the accountants, – “just a very large office sweepstakes”.

2 for days in a row the couriers methodically walked around 125 gas stations and supermarkets. We went to Farm Fresh, Miller Mart and Tinee Giant throughout the region, discouraging sellers with offers to take and process 1,4 million algorithmically generated lottery tickets.

Mandel was in Australia all this time, staying in the shadows, and meanwhile his boys were implementing his plan in Virginia (according to the Sydney Morning Herald, 1992)

"We thought, they're crazy", Rick Miller later admitted, owner of a local gas station, — «but, when they come to you and tell you, what they want to buy from you 700 thousand lottery tickets, You’re not going to kick these people out.”.

Farm Fresh Representative, sold a batch of tickets to Mandel's people, put it more poetically: "If you are petty, trying to pay off ticket after ticket, this offer is very tempting. But that’s the essence of lotto.”.

By Saturday evening the team was almost done. And then disaster struck.

One of the networks, selling tickets wholesale, couldn't handle the load, and closed for the weekend, leaving unprocessed 140 thousand tickets (700 thousands of combinations). By the time the circulation closed, Mandel's people had processed approximately 1,24 million of 1,4 million tickets (6,4 million combinations of 7 millions). Mandel's "win-win" plan, consisted of covering all possible options, was under threat.

Just like in a regular lottery, winning the jackpot, in the end, reduced to “lucky or unlucky”.

Powerball (USA) - America's most popular lottery, world and... Russia

What exactly makes the lottery so popular?? How to play it? In which countries can you play Powerball?? How play the Powerball lottery online from any country in the world, including Russia? Answers to these and other questions will follow.!

Lottery jackpots have always reached mind-blowing sizes, but at the beginning of January 2016 year, the excitement around the drawing was simply unprecedented - the main prize grew to 1,6 billion dollars in just a few days! Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tickets have been sold worldwide.! Queues in all stores, lottery kiosks, at gas stations, everywhere, where could you buy a Powerball ticket?, stood kilometer long! People, despite the cold January weather, stood in line for hours, just to take part in the super jackpot draw!

What can I say, hundreds of thousands of players from neighboring Canada could not resist, and came to play! And the people of Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa began to look for various other options for purchasing tickets, due to lack of opportunity to come to the country in person! Buying a Powerball ticket online and becoming a full-fledged participant in the lottery is absolutely possible, and most importantly, legally! All Prolotto players have this opportunity., who have repeatedly become winners and owners of cash prizes of varying sizes from the best lotteries around the world, including Powerball!

LIFE BEFORE...

John and Lisa Robinson, ordinary American family, lived in a typical panel house, there are plenty of them all over America. The couple's old house was not bad: its market value $ 150 000, but it didn’t cause much enthusiasm among the winners - just that the neighbors were decent.

The Robinsons had four cars, but all are used and in some places even rusty: two practical Honda Civics, to go to work, and two old pickup trucks: John was very fond of fishing and did not want to spoil good cars with bad roads.

The Robinsons were not pensioners: Lisa worked in a doctor's office, and John, former aircraft mechanic, worked in the sorting department at a parts plant - the Powerball winner had to defend 12-hour shifts, which greatly affected his health.

Of course, The Robinsons wanted to retire early, but circumstances did not allow: For example, shortly before winning the lottery, the couple made major renovations to their house, then the water heater went bad, there was a major leak, and the house had to be restored again.

Neighbors tell, that the Robinsons are generous people. At Christmas, the couple buy toys and clothes for the poor.. Relatives say, that Lisa and John are simple, modest and practical people, real hard workers, they don't like too much attention, but, if needed, will always come to the rescue and help out.

LIFE AFTER…

On the eve of the sensational Powerball drawing, which passed 13 January, Lisa called her husband and asked him to buy a lottery ticket. John replied, that he’s on his way home from work and doesn’t feel well, but Lisa was persistent, so the man had to stop by the supermarket, where did he buy 4 lottery ticket...

The Robinsons did not apply for a prize to the Powerball organizers for several months - they wanted to think about their future fate without unnecessary noise and panic.. Im, like any other people, who could be in their place, it was psychologically difficult to accept that fact, that they are now rich.

At the awards ceremony, Lisa and John told reporters, that they are not going to radically change their lives. The couple were confident, that they will continue to live in the old house and even go to work, but six months later the Robinsons decided to change their minds...

Lisa and John took early retirement and bought themselves a luxurious mansion for almost 10 million dollars. Huge house with a pier, private cinema and gym located in a remote area. A mansion on the shore of a beautiful lake is surrounded by dense forest. All the land around the Robinsons' new home now also belongs to them..

Lisa and John agreed to a photo shoot of their new home. You too can admire photos of the Powerball winners' home.

Are you psychologically ready for big money?? If your answer is “yes”, then you can try your luck on the Lotto Agent website. Choose Powerball or any other state lottery to your liking - and go ahead!

I also advise you to visit the following pages:

18 November 2019

What would Thomas Jefferson say??

The Australian group hit the jackpot in a completely legal way, both from the point of view of US law, and from the point of view of the legislation of the State of Virginia. But this experience was regarded as an attempt to “deceive” the traditional system.

Ken Thorson, Virginia Lottery Commissioner, complained to reporters, said: "We should remember, How Thomas Jefferson interpreted lotteries. The lottery is an opportunity for everyone, spending a small amount, to win a serious prize... no one expected, that a group attempt to buy out such a large batch is possible.”.

Mandel came under investigation, in which they participated 14 intelligence services of different states, including, The CIA, FBI, US Internal Revenue Service, Australian Crime Commission and Australian Securities Commission.

Ken Thorson, Director of the Virginia Lotteries, became Mandel's worst enemy after that, how he hit the big jackpot (Illustration by The Hustle; photo from 'How'd They Do That'?’, 1992

In the end, and Mandel, and ILF were found not guilty on all charges. “I will outlive you all”, - Mandel said then, - “I’m not one of those, who is ready to lie down and die, if some bronzed clerk himself doesn’t understand, what does he do".

Meanwhile, in Australia he gained fame as a folk hero. An article was published in People magazine, in which Mandel was compared to a kangaroo, who galloped away from the Americans with a bag full of money - desperate, victorious and full of life.

Which lottery to play

There are two large groups of games:

  1. circulation.

The prize is played among all players. The circulation is carried out on the appointed date and time.

If the amount is not drawn, the jackpot increases and moves to the next game. It goes on like this, until the main prize is won.

Draw lotteries in the Russian Federation

  1. Best circulation (instant).

The essence of the game is based on, that the player can find out the result immediately after purchasing a ticket, removing the protective layer in a certain area. You can receive the prize immediately after it is discovered right at the point of sale.

Which type of lottery to choose, it's up to the player to decide. In draw games the jackpot is always higher, but the chances of winning are minimal.

In non-circulation you can get a small, but an instant prize. In these games highest winning percentage.

The Rise of Stefan Mandel

In the late 1960s, young Romanian economist Stefan Mandel was struggling to make ends meet.

At that time, Romania was going through difficult years in the socialist camp., the country was simultaneously plagued by poverty, unemployment, malnutrition; In general, she was an “extremely pitiful sight.” Mandel earned a month 360 lei ($10), and this was not enough for him. He later told Planet Money, that then he needed to “get serious money, and, fast".

Many Romanians, facing the same adversity, like Mandel, forced to break the law. But Mandel, self-described as a “philosopher-mathematician”, I saw another way out: the lottery.

But let's step back a little: what an idiot you have to be, to expect to get rich on lotteries? Literally, each of us has a better chance of winning an Olympic gold medal, be born one of five identical twins or die, being crushed by a vending machine.

But Mandel was not just a guy on the street - numbers were his element, every now and then he tried to seize a moment, to study in more detail theoretical work on probability issues; these were treatises, written in the 13th century by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci. Having spent many years on this research, Mandel developed a "number selection algorithm"; This algorithm was based on the method, which the author himself called “combinatorial condensation.”

“Mathematics is a hobby for me, In general, I am an accountant with not the most extensive education,“he later told a Romanian magazine. "But, if you use math wisely, You can make a fortune for yourself.".

Here's how this method works.

If the player chooses 6 numbers in the lottery 49 balls, then the chances of winning are equal 1 To 13 983 816. If he chooses 15 numbers (why do you need to buy it? 5 005 games - one for each possible combination), then the chances of winning increase to 1 To 2 794. Mandel argued, that his algorithm allows you to reduce these 5 005 combinations up to 569.

If 6 winning numbers fall into the number 15 selected options, then you are guaranteed to win at least the 2nd prize and hundreds of smaller prizes, and there is also a chance 1 To 10 win the main prize.

Mandel teamed up with 4 friends, and each one bought 228 tickets for one circulation.

Miraculously (and thanks to extraordinary luck), he won the main prize in 72 783 lay (approximately $2k or $16.8k adjusted for inflation). Taking into account the costs, he has enough funds left, to bribe officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - and flee Romania, to start a new life and aim for a bigger jackpot.

Winning amount

note, that in this lottery the order of the numbers does not matter. The most important thing is to accurately guess all the numbers

For example, if you have chosen numbers on your lottery ticket in the following order “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6», and in the lottery machine they fell out in a completely different order “2, 5, 6, 1, 3, 4». It does not mean, that you lost, and even vice versa - we won, after all, you guessed absolutely all the numbers in this drawing.

Let's consider, how the size of the winnings depends on the number of numbers guessed:

  • 1 red ball - 4 Doll. USA;
  • 1 white and 1 red balls – 4 Doll. USA;
  • 2 white and 1 red balls – 7 Doll. USA;
  • 3 white ball - 7 Doll. USA;
  • 3 white and 1 red ball - 100 Doll. USA;
  • 4 white ball - 100 Doll. USA;
  • 4 white and 1 red ball - 10 outside. Doll. USA;
  • 5 white balls - 1 million. Doll. USA;
  • 5 white and 1 red ball – Jackpot.

If the drawing is carried out with a multiplier, then the winnings will be:

  • 1 red ball - from 8 Doll. USA to 40 Doll. USA;
  • 1 white and 1 red balls – from 8 Doll. USA to 40 Doll. USA;
  • 2 white and 1 red balls – from 14 Doll. USA to 70 Doll. USA;
  • 3 white ball - from 14 Doll. USA to 70 Doll. USA;
  • 3 white and 1 red ball - from 200 Doll. USA to 1 outside. Doll. USA;
  • 4 white ball - from 200 Doll. USA to 1 outside. Doll. USA;
  • 4 white and 1 red ball - from 20 outside. Doll. USA to 100 outside. Doll. USA;
  • 5 white balls - 2 million. Doll. USA;
  • 5 white and 1 red ball – Jackpot.

It is because of the Powerball prize pool that the US online lottery is considered one of the most profitable for players, because the ticket prices are not very high, and there are serious winnings at stake.

Increasing the winning amount

Every person wants to get a large amount of winnings, than stated by the lottery organizers. If you play Powerball, then you always have such a chance. Players can double or even triple their bets. Of course, At the same time, the cost of one ticket also increases. But, there are more chances to win a prize.

To get a bigger prize, players can cooperate and create a so-called “syndicate”. This is not part of the official Powerball rules., however, it is not prohibited by US law.

The operating principle is simple: a certain number of participants in the drawing buy the maximum possible number of tickets. In case of winning, it is divided “fairly” between all participants of the syndicate.

There are two options for splitting the winnings:

  • equally between all participants;
  • proportionally.

Most often, players choose the last partition method. It means, that the player will receive a large amount, who bought tickets for 100 US dollars, and not on 10 US dollars. This division is considered more fair and honest.

True, this option is not available for players from Russia and it is unlikely that you will be able to find honest organizers, who can represent her.

Maximum winning amount

The Powerball lottery is considered one of the largest lotteries around the world.. And it's not surprising, because at the beginning 2016 year the prize fund was 1,5 billion US dollars. This is a lot of money even for wealthy American citizens.

This jackpot was won by a Florida resident, who just recently turned 80 years. The woman didn't even suspect, what's the ticket, which was bought by her in the store for 2 US dollar, will make her a real millionaire.

The American woman had two ways to get her money:

  • the whole amount at once (in the end she would get 930 US dollars, minus all taxes and fees);
  • partially “split” payments into 30 years.

The latter option would be more profitable from a tax point of view. This is also a safer option., since cases are known, when lottery winners collected their big winnings, and then they were simply lost.

However, the winner decided, what to expect at her age 30 years is not the best option, so I took my entire prize at once.

The maximum winning amount is not limited. As already said, every week is added to the base jackpot 10 million US dollars, if there was no main winner in the previous drawing. That's why, everyone has a chance to hit the biggest jackpot in the world and set a new record.

Conclusion

Anyone would be happy to win a large amount of money, which was won by Lisa and John Robinson. But the news says, what a couple struggling to adapt to his new life. Lisa and John wanted continue living your life as usual and get back to your work. But Lisa had a negative experience with my colleagues back to work, she decided to quit her job.

Association family is very private but lives well in their house with 10 bedrooms. Neighbors report, What they will exchange friendly waves with a family, but rarely talk to them. I only hope, that the Robinson family happy and living life to the fullest.

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