Key facts
- Stefan Mandel and associates won $27 million in a 1992 Virginia lottery.
- Mandel's method involved purchasing tickets for every possible lottery combination.
- This win was part of a streak of 14 jackpot wins across three countries.
- Regulators in Australia and France later changed rules, impacting his strategy.
Romanian mathematician Stefan Mandel and his associates reportedly won $27 million on February 15, 1992, in Virginia. Their strategy involved financing the purchase of tickets for every possible lottery combination, a method that had previously led to 14 jackpot wins across Romania, the UK, and Australia. However, regulatory changes in Australia and France subsequently altered the rules, making it more difficult to replicate such a strategy.