Sumith Prasad
Paramount+’s comedy film ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large’ revolves around the true story of the titular couple, who play a lottery game named WinFall to acquire guaranteed profits. Jerry Selbee’s Winfall adventure started when he found out a flaw in the Michigan-based lottery’s roll-down system that allowed a player to reap positive returns by buying an extraordinary number of tickets. He tested his discovery with a couple of thousands and eventually went on to spend millions to play Winfall and Cash WinFall with his wife Marge Selbee. But how much did Jerry and Marge win playing the two lottery games? What is their current financial status? Well, let us answer those questions!
How Much Did Jerry and Marge Selbee Win?
Jerry Selbee’s Winfall chapter started when he was in his post-retirement phase. Jerry and Marge ran a local convenience store in Evart, Michigan, which they sold after running for 17 years. In 2003, Jerry became curious about the system of Winfall. He found a loophole in the game’s roll-down system to acquire guaranteed profits. On his first try, Jerry used $2,200 in tickets but received only $2,150. But the first attempt made him realize that the number of tickets used to bet should be really high. The next time, he spent $3,400 and won $6,300 to mark his first positive return. After realizing that the flaw is indeed real, he increased the stakes and spent $8,000 to win $15,700.
Six months after Jerry’s first attempt, he spent $18,000 on tickets after collecting money from his family members, only to lose most of it since another player hit the jackpot. But the setback didn’t stop Jerry and Marge. They started a company named GS Investment Strategies LLC to play the lottery with their friends and family members as shareholders. The profit started to increase from $40,000 to $160,000. Jerry bought a truck with a camping trailer and silver and gold coins from U.S. Mint. Marge, on the other hand, put her share in a savings account.
When Michigan Lottery shut down Winfall, Jerry and Marge started going to Massachusetts to play Cash WinFall. Jerry found a similar flaw in the game and the couple started playing by spending $120,000 for 60,000 tickets. The spending eventually went as high as $720,000 for a single draw. Their nine years of lottery playing ended in January 2012 when the Massachusetts Lottery reportedly shut down Cash WinFall in the same month. By that time, Jerry and Marge had won $26-27 million just by playing the two lotteries, which included a profit of $7.75 million before taxes.
Jerry and Marge used their share of winning to renovate their house and fund their grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s educations. They also started a construction financial business. Jerry started to lend money to builders in Traverse City, Michigan. When other members of the couple’s company bought timeshares or took cruises, Jerry and Marge were happy to lead a calm life in Evart. Jerry occasionally still plays lottery games but doesn’t spend more than $10 to buy the tickets. Jerry and Marge also increased their revenue by selling the rights of their life story to make ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large.’
Jerry and Marge Selbee’s Net Worth
Jerry and Marge Selbee’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million. Considering that they are seemingly still earning through the construction financing business, their net worth may increase minimally in the future.
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