Only two bettors did not attend college. The rest are university professors, graduates or dropouts
By Idris ‘Shoes’ Lule
Forget the Kenyans who have wowed us after winning the Mega Jackpot from Sportpesa. There was Samuel Abisai who won Sh221 million in 2016. That is what one of the billionaire gamblers listed here wins in a day! Then there was Gordon Ogada who went home with Sh230 million in 2018. That was our highest prize winning so far, but which is pocket change compared to the high rollers of gambling in the world. Surprisingly, all of them never made their money from betting on whether Manchester United will beat Brighton. All nine except one made their gambling billions betting on horses and poker. One habitué of the gambling tables even managed to trouser home Sh100 million from one round of golf!
Something else.
None of them used guess work . Most used either experience or mathematical formulas and software assisted predictions. Only two did not attend college. The rest are either university professors, graduates or dropouts. Most were majoring in mathematics or the sciences. None was studying agriculture or transport geography. Gambling is pretty masculine as none in this list is a woman. Big time gamblers are also not in Africa. Here goes…
- Bill Benter
Age: 62
Nationality: Hong Kong based-American
Education: Physics degree from New Case University
Daily wins: Sh200-Sh500 million
Net worth: Sh100 billion
Source: Horse racing
Style: Software assisted gambling
Children: 1
2.Edward E. Thorpe
Age: 87
Nationality: American
Education: PhD in Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles
Net worth: Sh80 billion (from investing gambling wins in stocks, hedge funds)
Source: Casinos
Style: Software assisted gambling/mathematical formulas
Quote: “Life is like reading a novel or running a marathon. It’s not so much about reaching a goal but rather about the journey itself and the experiences along the way.”
3. Zeljko Ranogajec
Nationality: Ausie-born Croat
Education: University of Tasmania law dropout
Net worth: Sh80 billion (from investing gambling wins in stocks, hedge funds)
Source: Casinos/horse racing
Style: Mathematical formulas/photographic memory
Notable wins: Sh700 million horse racing jackpot in 1994/Sh4.4 billion in three years to 2008.
Disposition: Recluse.
4. Andrew Black
Age: 56
Nationality: British
Education: University of Exeter computer science drop out (after being expelled for spending more time with bookies than lecturers)
Beginnings: Bet Sh2, 800 on a horse and won Sh3.5 million in 1992.
Net worth: Sh28 billion (from co-founding Betfair in 1998, England’s largest bet exchange market which was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2010)
Source: horse racing/betting exchange
Style: Mathematical formulas/Experience
Career: Got his first hob stacking shelves at 26
Family: Sir Cyril Black, his grandpa, was an anti-gambling politician
Quote: “I wanted to achieve something in business. I was unshakable in my belief that something would work out, but I didn’t know what it would be.”
5. Billy Walters
Age: 73
Nationality: American
Education: None
Net worth: Sh20 billion
Daily wins: Sh200 million
Source: Sports betting syndicate
Style: Analytics
Notable wins: Sh40 million for a hole-in-one and Sh100 million in a single round of golf.
Notable loses: Sh100 million in a single night at a casino.
6. Patrik Antonius
Age: 38
Nationality: Spanish based Finn
Education: Helsinki Polytechnic
Dream career: Pro tennis
Beginnings: Turned Sh20, 000 into Sh200, 000 in one month
Annual wins: Sh700 million
Net worth: Sh20 billion
Source: Online poker
Style: Experience
Notable wins: Sh100 million in one night in 2012
Notable loses: Sh50 million in one poker night
7.Phil Ivey
Age: 42
Nationality: American
Education: Taught stud poker by his guka aged eight
Career trajectory: Turned Pro at 20. Has won more World Series Poker than any other player in history
Net worth: Sh10 billion
Source: Table/online poker
Style: Advantage gambling/Game Theory
Notable wins: Sh1.9 billion in online poker in 2011
Notable loses: Was deniedSh1.2 billion casino win for using ‘unorthodox tricks’50 million in one poker night.
8. Tony Bloom
Age: 49
Nationality: British Jew
Education: Degree in Mathematics, University of Manchester
Net worth: Sh10 billion annually (from investing poker wins in real estate, gambling websites and the Albion soccer club).
Source: Poker/online betting odds/soccer gambling syndicate
Style: Statistical models
Notable wins: Sh60 million poker championship in 2009
Quote: “Poker gives you a good grounding in lots of things, including reading situations and reading people and making tough decisions. Those skills can be used in business and certainly in running a football club.”
9. Ray Bitar
Age: 47
Nationality: American
Education: High school graduate. Never had desire to attend college
Beginnings: Playing poker at 12, trading in shares at 16
Family: Dad ran away when he was still in nappies
Net worth: Sh4 billion
Source: Co-founding Full Tilt Poker, the world’s second largest online poker gambling site.
Style: Experience
Notable wins: Sh600, 000 in one night at the poker tables
Notable loses: Being indicted on money laundering, bank fraud and illegal gambling in 2011 when Full Tilt Poker was shut by US authorities, assets frozen. He surrendered everything to escape a 65 year jail term in 2013.
10. Jonathan Duhamel
Age: 32
Nationality: Canadian
Education: University of Quebec, Business Administration and Finance
First job: Picking strawberries
Net worth: Sh3.2 billion
Source: Professional poker
Style: Observation/Experience
Notable wins: Sh800 million Word Series of Poker championship in 2010
Family: An aircraft mechanic dad, bank teller mum
Hustle: Authored poker book, Final Table, in 2012
Sources: Forbes, ESN, Bestcasinosites and millionaire mob.
