I think it's just luck and coincidence, because of his persistence not to change his actual birth number randomly, all the numbers will have something in common over the years.
If you are determined to stick with your favorite number for years even 20 years which in my opinion is a very long time, there is a good chance that your favorite number will be the same at the right time.
But the question is, how much money was spent in those years/decades of betting the same numbers? Lucky for him that before he vanished from this earth, he finally got his luck. At least, enjoy his remaining years without worrying anything. Very few people can stick to this routine and hope that one day, he will get his luck. Definitely, a lot did the same strategy but never saw their luck til they depart from this world.