Man Bets on His Life Expectancy, Wins More Than $16G
Monday, June 01, 2009
A 59-year-old man diagnosed with mesothelioma and given just months to live, placed a bet that he would outlive his doctor’s predictions and is now set to win $16,391, health24.com reported.
In 2006, Jon Matthews, of Milton Keynes in England, placed $163.83 in a 50-to-1 bet that he would live to see mid-2007. When Matthews found himself more than $8,000 richer, he decided to make another bet in June 2008 — this time setting the odds at 100 to 1 that he’d live to see June 1, 2009.
“I think I am the first person in the world to have bet on my own life,” Matthews said.
A spokesman for William Hill, who is Matthews’ booker, said he is “pleased” to pay out this bet.
