Luck or fate? Unusual Stories of Lottery Winners
The lottery is a game of chances. Each ticket purchased is a bet on luck, a hope to be the bearer of the next set of fortunate numbers. However, over the years, some lottery winners' stories have made many question whether it's really just luck or if there could be a more mysterious fate at play. Here are some of the most unusual stories of lottery winners.
Frane Selak: The Luckiest (or Unluckiest) Man in the World
Frane Selak, a music teacher from Croatia, earned his reputation as the world's unluckiest (and at the same time luckiest) man after escaping seven near-fatal accidents and then winning the lottery. After narrowly escaping death in car disasters, train accidents, even a falling plane, Selak won $1 million in the Croatian lottery in 2003. Luck, fate, or both? Hard to tell.
Bill Morgan: The Twice Lucky Winner
Bill Morgan, an Australian, was celebrating his second chance at life after surviving a car accident and a subsequent heart attack that left him clinically dead for 14 minutes. To celebrate his survival, Morgan bought a lottery ticket and won a car. When a local television crew asked him to reenact his moment of victory, he bought another ticket and ended up winning a prize of $250,000 live on TV. Coincidence? Maybe, but certainly one of the most unusual lottery winner stories.
Derek Ladner: The Forgetfulness That Paid Off
Derek Ladner, a Brit, had a habit of buying lottery tickets. In 2007, however, Ladner's forgetfulness paid off when he forgot he had already bought a ticket and purchased another one with the same numbers. They turned out to be the winning numbers, and Ladner and his wife won the jackpot twice over.
Joan Ginther: The Woman Who Won Four Times
Joan Ginther is a Texas woman who seems to have an especially lucky hand. Between 1993 and 2010, she won the lottery four times, amassing over $20 million in winnings. Ginther, a former math teacher with a PhD in Statistics from Stanford University, left many speculating if there was more science than luck to her victories. However, so far, there are no concrete proofs that she used her knowledge in statistics to win. She might just be one of the luckiest people in the world.
Richard Lustig: The Man Who Wrote the Book on Winning
Richard Lustig, from Florida, won seven major lottery prizes between 1993 and 2010, totaling over a million dollars. What makes Lustig's story even more remarkable is that he wrote a book called "Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery," where he shares tips on how he believes he won so many times. Despite this, experts continue to insist that winning the lottery is pure luck, and Lustig's book provides no guaranteed strategy.
James Bozeman Jr.: Change in Style, Change in Luck
James Bozeman Jr., from Florida, won the lottery in 2012, taking home a $10 million prize. However, what makes Bozeman's story unusual is that the following year, he won again. But before buying the winning ticket the second time, Bozeman decided to change his appearance, swapping his casual clothes for more formal attire whenever he bought his tickets. Perhaps his "change of luck" is mere coincidence, but it certainly adds a touch of peculiarity to his story.
These surprising lottery win stories defy the odds and introduce the intriguing question: luck or fate? While most players continue buying tickets in hopes of being the next to have an incredible story to tell, the reality is that winning the lottery is mostly a matter of luck. However, these notable lottery winners' stories certainly add an element of fascination and mystery to the game.
