ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / MONEY 101

‘World's luckiest man’ was clinically dead, then he woke up from coma and won the lottery twice

Bill Morgan, a trucker from Australia, achieved the miraculous feat back in 1999.
UPDATED OCT 12, 2024
Image Source:  (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images)
Image Source: (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images)

A man from Melbourne Australia was dubbed as the luckiest man alive after he cheated death and won the lottery twice. Bill Morgan, who worked as a trucker was declared dead for 14 minutes before he came back to life. Feeling lucky, he tried his luck and won a lottery which led to another mega win, and it was all caught on camera on live TV. The series of wins nearly set Morgan up for life and made him a viral sensation decades later.

Screenshot from a YouTube video | YouTube | Stuido10 Australia
Screenshot from a YouTube video | YouTube | Stuido10 Australia

The story of the luckiest man in the world

Mogan's video of winning the lottery on TV has resurfaced several times on social media. In an telephonic interview with Studio10 Australia, Morgan shared that his health deteriorated after a freak accident while working for his trucking company.

Then he had another horror car crash in 1998, in which he suffered a heart attack and went into a coma and the doctors declared the Aussie "clinically dead" for about 14 minutes.  However, Morgan miraculously woke up 14 days later and was dubbed as a 'medical miracle', as per the Daily Mail Australia. 

Feeling like his return from the dead had a deeper meaning, Morgan decided to test his luck. He proposed to his girlfriend who said yes, and a year later he tried his luck at a lottery and won a $17,000 Toyota Corolla. His amazing return from the dead and lottery win caught the attention of the local press and Morgan was soon asked to appear on TV. 

Nine's evening news in Melbourne asked Morgan to re-enact his winning moment. A camera crew followed Morgan going into a store to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Screenshot from a video | YouTube | Studio10 Australia
Screenshot from a video | YouTube | Studio10 Australia

In the footage, Morgan is seen buying the ticket and scratching it off on the counter. To everyone's surprise, the scratch card he had purchased for the act also ended up being a winner. Morgan held the ticket out to the news crew saying, "I just won AUD250,000 ( ~$170,000) - I'm not joking."

Screenshot from a YouTube video | YouTube | Studio10 Australia
Screenshot from a YouTube video | YouTube | Studio10 Australia

He could be seen shaking with his hand on his head. "I think I'll have another heart attack," he adds. He calls his fiance to tell her about the win and asks her to go on and buy a new house.  Shortly afterward, staff at the news agency popped a bottle of champagne in celebration to mark one of the greatest strokes of luck.

The extraordinary win and the subsequent call to his fiancee were shown on Nine's evening news. From there, other outlets including CNN and BBC picked it up to show it around the world. Decades later, Morgan's story captured the attention of people again across social media. 



 

Many wondered what Morgan did with his fortune and how his life turned out to be. In 2020, at 59, he told Daily Mail Australia that he took out a cheque for $200,000 and bought a house and he still lived in it.  He shared that he continued to buy scratchies but hasn't won anything significant since 1999. 

Unfortunately, his health hasn't held up as he had to retire due to heart problems and arthritis. However, he is grateful for the extra years to live, a nice car to drive, and a great house to live in with his wife.

This article originally appeared 1 month ago.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
He always makes it a point to buy two tickets at a time and select his own numbers.
3 days ago
The woman was apprehensive about the transaction and shared her experience on social media.
3 days ago
The woman even went on to say that her father's spirit had a role to play in her lucky streak.
4 days ago
Apart from coming up with a unique idea, O'Leary also shared tips on pitching a business.
4 days ago
The wealthy in Korea were hiding their money at home to avoid high tax rates at the time.
6 days ago
Walmart had earlier removed self-checkout kiosks from some of its stores but does not have plans for other outlets.
6 days ago
The man was trying to buy items worth less than $500 and insisted that his note was real.
7 days ago
The woman learned the importance of remembering her credentials and now keeps her crypto in a storage device.
Nov 5, 2024
The economist did use calculations to increase his odds but did not break a single law.
Nov 5, 2024
One of them said that talking to neighbors before launching the dog park at home is the key.
Nov 4, 2024
Some apps do have the option to secure the funds using bank accounts linked to them.
Nov 4, 2024
The retired security guard heard an announcement on television that a particular lottery ticket hadn’t found its prize winner yet.
Nov 4, 2024
The couple are unapologetic about their decision and even have a club dedicated to spending the inheritance of kids.
Nov 3, 2024
Anything from old Chinaware to vintage video games and Pokemon cards may be rare collectibles in this day and age.
Oct 31, 2024
As soon as she won the lottery everyone from her colleagues to the customer and even her ex-husband claimed their share.
Oct 29, 2024
The return on investment for these kits has outpaced that on certain stocks and precious metals.
Oct 28, 2024
People in the comments were upset about the way casinos deprive people of their winnings by all means possible.
Oct 23, 2024
Guijarro and his girlfriend spent a year to find evidence that could authenticate the rare picture.
Oct 22, 2024
As many as 76 percent of Brown University students are registered with Shiru and they place an average of 600 orders a day.
Oct 22, 2024
As the boos got louder and things seemed out of control, Pat Sajak hit back with witty response
Oct 20, 2024