On 23 April last, in a commune in the Côtes-d’Armor region of Brittany, an occasional couple saw their lives turned upside down. That evening, they each filled in a Loto grid. Nothing out of the ordinary on the surface. And yet luck struck twice, with mathematically improbable precision. It was not until several weeks later that the information was made public by the FDJ (Française des Jeux) and relayed by France Bleu. It was a deliberate choice on the part of the couple, who wanted to remain in the shadows to savour this moment out of sight.
Two grids, one difference… and €12 million
The scenario is perplexing. The husband fills in the first grid with a combination of numbers which, that evening, turns out to be the jackpot: 12 million euros. The wife, also a player, ticked almost identical numbers… except for the lucky number.
This small variation meant that she missed out on the jackpot, but still pocketed over €60,000. A sum that would have made many players dream, but which in their case becomes the “small prize” of the evening.
‘At first, I didn’t really believe it,’ says the father of the family to the FDJ, according to France Bleu.
An understandable reaction when you’re lucky twice in one evening.
An intuition that changes destiny
What was going through the couple’s minds that evening? Was it a habit? A simple coincidence? Or a hunch?
Without going into the details of their strategy, we know that the two grids were played independently. The choice of very similar numbers seems deliberate, but the lucky number that differentiates them is enough to change their destiny.
The couple, who live in Brittany, have a family with children. While the colossal win of €12 million (plus the extra €60,000) may not change their personalities, it will certainly turn their daily lives upside down.
Anonymity, the golden rule for big winners
Every year, many winners choose to remain in the shadows. And with good reason: winning the Loto can attract covetousness, solicitations and even tension. La Française des Jeux understands this: it offers its winners psychological and financial support to help them deal with this new reality.
In this particular case, the couple took their time getting their tickets validated and deciding how they were going to organise themselves. A careful and considered approach.
Statistically, a staggering probability
The probability of winning the Loto jackpot with a single grid is around 1 in 19 million. So what about two winning grids played on the same evening, by a couple, with similar numbers?
Some will call it a miracle, others a twist of fate. Mathematicians, on the other hand, would call it a ‘very rare joint probability’, but not impossible.
A story that inspires… or makes you dream
At a time when inflation, economic uncertainty and everyday challenges are weighing heavily on many French families, this kind of story is like a ray of sunshine.It reminds us that sometimes fate can smile unexpectedly. That in an ordinary moment, by ticking a few boxes on a ballot paper, everything can change.