In the early 18th century, France was in a financial quandary, and the government, in a bid to raise funds, decided to institute a lottery. Among the keen observers of this opportunity were two remarkable minds: Voltaire, the renowned Enlightenment writer, and Charles Marie de La Condamine, a mathematician and geographer.
In 1729, the French government launched a lottery with an unusual structure aimed at aiding those who held government annuities. The lottery ticket price was set at a fixed amount, and the prize pool was to be a share of the annuities. However, a crucial oversight in the lottery’s design meant that the payout was disproportionately large compared to the ticket cost, particularly for certain tickets representing smaller annuities.
Voltaire, known for his sharp wit and intellectual prowess, teamed up with La Condamine, whose mathematical acumen was invaluable. They realized that by purchasing a large number of these undervalued tickets, they could significantly increase their chances of winning. Essentially, they exploited the flawed design to their advantage.
Their scheme required a substantial initial investment to buy the necessary number of tickets. Voltaire and La Condamine, along with a few other wealthy investors, pooled their resources to purchase as many tickets as possible. Their strategy was based on the law of large numbers—a concept well understood by La Condamine—ensuring that their combined probability of winning was overwhelmingly high.
As expected, their plan worked brilliantly. The group won the lottery multiple times, amassing a fortune. Their winnings were so substantial that it attracted the attention of the authorities. However, upon investigation, it was found that Voltaire and La Condamine had not broken any laws; they had simply identified and leveraged a loophole.
The scandal caused an uproar, leading the French government to overhaul the lottery system to prevent such exploitation in the future. For Voltaire, the experience was more than just a financial windfall. It reinforced his belief in the power of reason and intellect over blind chance and further cemented his reputation as a formidable thinker and critic of government incompetence.
This episode in history is not just a testament to the cleverness of Voltaire and La Condamine but also a reminder of the perennial interplay between human ingenuity and institutional oversight. It underscores how even the most well-intentioned systems can be outsmarted by those who see beyond the surface, using intellect as their most potent tool.
