The syndicate carried on winning the huge jackpot month after month, but the plan was let down by Voltaire being Voltaire.
Generally most people would write things on the back of their lotto tickets, usually good luck phrases. Voltaire, in his typical fashion, would instead write phrases mocking the government and officials, as well as simply partially giving away their scheme and who was involved, like “Here’s to the good idea of Marie De La Condamine”. He’d then sign the tickets with various made up names.
The organizers of the lottery eventually realized from this that many of the prizes were being won by the same group and they quickly figured out who was behind it….
