Luckiest Europeans
Whether you believe in luck or not, it can be hard to ignore the fact that sometimes, some people seem to have more of it than others. We’re not sure what mysterious powers these people have, but some individuals not only win that big lottery once, but twice! While the rest of us are left scratching our heads and searching our jeans for our tickets.
From being so unlucky that you must be magic, to beating the odds to knowing where’s the best place to live, we count down ten of the luckiest (or unluckiest) people and places in Europe.
Five Luckiest Europeans – The People And The Places
1. Maarten de Jonge
While we can’t be 100% sure if this Dutch cyclist is really as lucky as he claims, we’re still intrigued by his story. Maarten claims that he planned to fly on both ill-fated Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 and 17, but had changed his flights for cheaper ones.
2. Anders Helstrup
If skydiving wasn’t thrilling enough, Anders from Norway had the ultimate experience when he was joined by a meteorite on his way down to earth. Dangerous? Maybe, but Anders was wise enough to catch the encounter on camera, otherwise, we might not have believed him.
3. The Mystery Man From Rhine
If we scooped all seven numbers in Germany’s biggest ever lottery prize, we might very well hide our identity too. The unidentified winner scooped €46 million in 2013, and has kept himself a secret to avoid media hoards and well-wishers hoping for a share of the prize.
4. The Unknown Millionaires
Finland’s largest ever lottery win in February 2018 wasn’t claimed for some time, and no one was really sure who bought the winning ticket from a supermarket in Loimaa. The group ticket was to be shared by four winners, who eventually came forward in May to claim the €90 million prize.
5. The Unluckiest Lucky Man
A name which is most fitting, if a little harsh, “the luckiest unluckiest man in the world” is Croatian Frane Selak, who seems to have a knack for cheating death. His accomplishments include surviving a train crash into a freezing river, a plane crash and multiple car accidents. His wave of bad luck seems to be over though, as in 2003 he won €800,000 on the lottery. Perhaps hoping for a safer and quieter life, he gave away most of his money to family and friends in 2010.
Three Luckiest Places In Europe
1. Nuremburg, Germany
A visit to this Bavarian hub is not complete without going to the towering Schöner Brunnen Gothic fountain. This beautifully-carved landmark has a reputation for bringing luck to all those who spin the two rings that are embedded into the fountain. Another rumour says that spinning the rings will increase your fertility!
2. The Trevi Fountain, Rome
Visitors to Rome’s world famous fountain can be seen tossing a coin over their shoulder into the fountain for good luck, and as much as €3,000 is thrown into it annually. While it’s not known if the Trevi actually brings good luck, its own creation was made on luck. Pope Clemens XII used the money earned from the reintroduction of the Roman lottery to pay for it.
5. Finland
Yes, all of it! On the 100th anniversary of its Independence, Finland was named the world’s safest, most stable and best-governed country in the world. Finland also holds the title as “The Happiest Place On Earth” – so if happiness = luck, then yes, we consider the Finns very lucky indeed.
