Some people were born with the ability to predict the future, and some just gamble. We don’t know what Nick Newlife was, but his £1,520 bet from 2003, going for Roger Federer winning at least 7 Wimbledon titles by 2019, came through, bringing in £101,840, or $158,000.

The problem for Newlife? He’s dead, passing away in 2009 at the age of 69. But his betting predictions were left to Oxfam, a charity organization set out to battle poverty in the UK and around the world. The odds on Federer winning the seven titles and equaling his Wimbledon tally to Pete Sampras’ were 66-1 and apparently, these aren’t the only long-term bets Newlife left to those that remain after him.

Andre Barton of Oxfam knew about the bet, but was actually rooting for Andy Murray, as almost any Brit would – I was just sitting there watching the tennis and I kept finding myself calling for Murray, particularly in that long game in the third set. And then my head is telling me: Andrew, remember Oxfam gets the money if Federer wins.

With his 7th Wimbledon title, Roger Federer returned to the number one spot in the ATP rankings for the first time in over two years, also ending his grand slam title drought which lasted two-and-a-half years, since the 2010 Australian Open. He beat Andy Murray that day in Melbourne as well. It’s his 17th Grand Slam title three more than anyone else (Pete Sampras is second with 14) and six more than the next active player, Rafael Nadal, who won his 11th slam at the most recent French Open.

Image: source