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Biography & Personal Stories
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The Luckiest Unlucky Man: The True Story of the One Villager Who Missed a $100M Lottery Win
In 2012, every household in the Spanish town of Sodeto won a share of the El Gordo lottery prize—all except one man, Costis Mitsotakis, who was accidentally overlooked. But what seemed like terrible luck turned into an incredible story of community, kindness, and unexpected fortune.
Imagine your entire town winning the lottery. Every neighbor, every friend, every single household celebrating a life-changing windfall. Now, imagine you are the only one left out. This isn't a hypothetical nightmare; it was the reality for Costis Mitsotakis in the tiny Spanish village of Sodeto in 2012.
A Christmas Miracle for Everyone... Almost
Spain's annual Christmas lottery, known as 'El Gordo' (The Fat One), is a national obsession. It’s less about one individual hitting a mega-jackpot and more about spreading the wealth, with thousands of winning numbers sharing a massive prize pool. In 2012, the village of Sodeto, home to just 250 people, experienced this collective joy firsthand. The local housewives' association had been selling shares in ticket number 58268 door-to-door to raise money. When that number was drawn, it triggered a cascade of wins totaling over €100 million for the 70 households in the village. Farmers, mechanics, and retirees were suddenly richer by at least €100,000 ($130,000 USD) per share, with many holding multiple shares.
The Man Who Was Missed
As champagne flowed and celebrations erupted, Greek filmmaker Costis Mitsotakis was the sole resident whose phone wasn't ringing. He had moved to the quiet village years earlier to escape city life. The reason he didn't have a winning ticket was painfully simple: the sellers had accidentally missed him. His house, a renovated barn, was located just far enough from the village center that they simply forgot to knock on his door. There was no malice, just a simple oversight that left him on the outside looking in on the town’s biggest celebration.
You see all the happy people and you're happy for them, but you're a bit on the side.
Initially, the feeling was surreal. Mitsotakis found himself at the center of a global media storm, a symbol of profound bad luck. But the story didn't end with bitterness or regret.
A Fortune of a Different Kind
What happened next is a testament to the community of Sodeto. Instead of being an outcast, Mitsotakis found himself embraced. While his neighbors were paying off mortgages and buying new farm equipment, they didn't forget him. One farmer who won big gifted him a parcel of land. Others, flush with cash and needing projects done, hired him for his filmmaking services. His unique position as the impartial observer gave him the perfect story for a documentary he would later create, titled 'Cuando Tocó' (When It Hit). The lottery win revitalized the struggling agricultural town, preventing its decline and allowing a new generation to stay and build their futures. For Mitsotakis, the twist of fate that left him without a lottery ticket ultimately gave him something more valuable: a powerful story to tell, a renewed sense of purpose, and an even deeper connection to the village he called home. He found his own fortune not in cash, but in community and opportunity.