Top 10 Luckiest People in the World: Unbelievable True Stories

Who is the luckiest person in the world? From a man who survived seven near-death experiences to a woman who won the lottery four times, the luckiest people in the world have stories that seem impossible to believe. These are not fictional tales — every story below is documented and verified.

Whether you believe luck is random chance or something more, these top 10 luckiest people in the world will challenge everything you thought you knew about fortune.

1. Frane Selak — The World's Luckiest Unlucky Man

Ask "who is the luckiest person in the world?" and most people will point to Frane Selak, a Croatian music teacher whose life reads like a disaster movie — except he survived every single one. In 1962, a train he was riding derailed and plunged into an icy river; 17 passengers died, but Selak swam to safety with a broken arm. A year later, a plane door blew off mid-flight — Selak was sucked out but landed in a haystack and survived. He later survived a bus crash into a river, two car fires, being struck by a bus, and driving off a cliff (he clung to a tree while the car exploded 300 feet below).

The punchline? In 2003, at age 73, Frane Selak won $1.1 million in the Croatian lottery. He later gave most of it away, saying he had already received the greatest gift — his life. Selak passed away in 2016, having outlived seven events that should have killed him.

2. Joan R. Ginther — The Luckiest Woman in the World

Joan R. Ginther is widely regarded as the luckiest woman in the world. Between 1993 and 2010, she won the Texas lottery four separate times, collecting over $20 million in total. The odds of one person achieving this were calculated at roughly one in eighteen septillion.

Statisticians have speculated that Ginther — who holds a PhD in mathematics from Stanford — may have used probability models to identify high-payout scratch-off tickets. Texas lottery officials confirmed all wins were legitimate. Regardless of method, her streak remains unmatched in lottery history and makes her the undisputed luckiest woman alive.

3. Tsutomu Yamaguchi — Survived Both Atomic Bombings

Tsutomu Yamaguchi is the only person officially recognized by the Japanese government as a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. On August 6, 1945, he was in Hiroshima on a business trip when the first bomb fell. He suffered severe burns but survived. He then returned home — to Nagasaki — just in time for the second bomb three days later.

Yamaguchi survived both blasts and lived to 93, passing away in 2010. His story is a profound reminder that luck can be both brutal and merciful in the same lifetime.

4. Violet Jessop — Survived Three Shipwrecks Including the Titanic

Violet Jessop was a stewardess and nurse who survived the sinking of three ocean liners. She was aboard the RMS Olympic when it collided with the HMS Hawke in 1911. She survived the Titanic's sinking in 1912, escaping in lifeboat 16. And in 1916, she survived the sinking of the HMHS Britannic after it struck a mine.

Despite these three maritime disasters, Jessop continued working at sea until 1950 and lived to the age of 83. She is one of the luckiest people in history and certainly the luckiest person on the water.

5. Roy Sullivan — Struck by Lightning 7 Times and Survived

Roy Sullivan, a Virginia park ranger, holds the Guinness World Record for being struck by lightning more times than any other human — a staggering seven times between 1942 and 1977. He lost a toenail, had his eyebrows burned off, suffered chest and stomach burns, and had his hair set on fire (twice), but survived every single strike.

The odds of being struck by lightning seven times are approximately 1 in 10²⁸. Sullivan became known as the "Human Lightning Rod" and remains one of the most statistically improbable survivors in recorded history.

6. Bill Morgan — From Coma to Lottery Winner on Live TV

Australian Bill Morgan was clinically dead for 14 minutes after a heart attack, then fell into a 12-day coma. Doctors considered pulling the plug. He survived with no brain damage, and shortly after, won a car worth $17,000 in a scratch-off lottery.

A local news channel asked him to recreate the moment on camera — and while filming, Morgan scratched off another ticket and won $250,000 live on television. The footage of his genuine shock became one of the most viral lucky moments ever recorded.

7. Maureen Wilcox — The Lottery Numbers That Didn't Align

Maureen Wilcox's story is a twist on lottery luck. In 1980, she bought tickets for both the Massachusetts and Rhode Island lotteries. She had the winning numbers for both — but in the wrong states. Her Massachusetts ticket matched Rhode Island's numbers, and her Rhode Island ticket matched Massachusetts' numbers.

While Wilcox didn't win either jackpot, her story has become legendary as one of the most unlucky-yet-lucky coincidences in lottery history. The astronomical odds of matching both drawings in reverse have made her a fixture in every "luckiest people" list.

8. Frances & Patrick Connolly — £115 Million EuroMillions Jackpot

In 2019, Northern Irish couple Frances and Patrick Connolly won a staggering £114.9 million EuroMillions jackpot. What made their story remarkable wasn't just the win — it was what they did with it. The Connollys had already prepared a list of 50 people they would share the money with.

They funded community projects, bought homes for friends and family, and set up charities. Their generosity turned a stroke of luck into a force for good across their community.

9. Jack Whittaker — The $314.9 Million Powerball Cautionary Tale

When Jack Whittaker won $314.9 million in the 2002 Powerball — then the largest single-ticket jackpot in US history — he was already a millionaire. But his story became a cautionary tale: robberies, lawsuits, the death of his granddaughter, and personal struggles followed. Within years, Whittaker said he wished he had torn up the ticket.

His story is a powerful reminder that luck and happiness are not always the same thing — and that the luckiest people in the world sometimes pay a hidden cost.

10. Leroy "Buck" Miller — The Diamond Discovery

In 2015, Leroy "Buck" Miller visited the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas on a whim. Within hours, he discovered a 16.37-carat diamond — one of the largest ever found at the park. He named it the "Expectation Diamond."

Miller's find was pure serendipity — no special equipment, no mining experience, just a casual visit that turned into a life-changing discovery. It's a reminder that sometimes, luck is simply about showing up.

The Luckiest Women in the World

Several of the luckiest people in history are women whose stories deserve special recognition. Joan Ginther tops the list as the luckiest woman with her four lottery wins. Violet Jessop survived three shipwrecks over five years. And Frances Connolly turned a £115 million windfall into a legacy of generosity.

The luckiest woman in the world isn't defined by a single event — it's about surviving, winning, or beating odds that most people can't even comprehend.

Are You One of the Lucky Ones?

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