The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: ender on January 12, 2016, 11:03:11 AM
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I read other threads about people dreaming about winning the lottery, etc.
Am I the only one that doesn't want to win? And that playing, even for fun, increases the risk that I would win?
I understand you could probably find a way to make it so you anonymously won, or otherwise were not publicly known.
It'd clearly give the ability to FIRE and do things with money but realistically it'd be pretty tricky, because you'd have to either 1) just most of the money to a foundation/charity (probably the best bet) or 2) live a secret life while trying to manage it. Alternatively you could just throw your ticket away, I guess..
While yes, it'd be nice to pocket a few million and comfortably FIRE, you're still going to have to deal with people who know you wondering "how did you manage to retire so early?" and for me, I'm young enough that "saved a lot, spend little" really won't be a believable statement.
Anyone else legitimately not want to play the crazy-lottery for similar reasons?
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A giant windfall would certainly be trading your current set of circumstances/problems for another.
I haven't bought a lottery ticket in a while (more than a year or two?) but my plan has always been to share a giant windfall with my family and friends, so we can all have rich people problems together. :)
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Ender, I don't think I'd like to win it, either. Most, if not all, of the state lotteries in the U.S. require the winners to be interviewed, photographed, and thus fitted with a huge target on their backs. As an introvert, I find this appalling. As a somewhat-rational human being surrounded by people who aren't so rational, particularly when it comes to money matters, I find this terrifying.
Just the other night, one of my family members was talking a little too excitedly about "what-ifs" and the Lotto. It was all I could do to refrain from unleashing the facepunching.
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I'm with you. I dont want to win $1.4B. Winning something the $1M second prize would be nice since I could then FIRE immediately.
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I also think winning a huge jackpot sounds terrible. There's no way to claim the cash anonymously here and the thought of having my name and photo published with the win is horrifying to me. I've seen how slimeballs come out of the woodwork when even a small amount of money changes hands. Although, I don't love my current job, I don't want to quit and make "defending the giant stash from the slimeballs" my next job.
Plus, the chances of winning are smaller than the chances of being hit by lightening. Any money available for buying lottery tickets is much better off being added to the guaranteed stash accumulating in my investment account.
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I am not playing this current lotto for that very reason. $1.4 bil is TOO MUCH. Especially publicly. No way.
I would be more than happy with a million or two. That's it!
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+1
Dont want the trouble. A few more years and I will be doing "from home consulting" or whatever. If i did win the lottery I would not be happy doing anything other than what I plan to do in Fire anyways, but the lotto would mean the added risk of someone finding out( and I live in SC where you can be anon).
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It's mindboggling to me that with all the reported problems and issues lottery winners have had over the years that so many states won't let winners claim the prize in anonymity. Maybe I don't want to be stalked by everyone who's ever known me looking for handouts.
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
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My coworkers and I were recently discussing this and came to the conclusion that the best outcome is to have all numbers BUT the Powerball.
It's a million-dollar payout; enough to make a positive difference in life but not enough to ruin it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I read somewhere that you can change your name. Claim the prize. Then later change it back... Might be a way to avoid a lot of hassle.
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I read somewhere that you can change your name. Claim the prize. Then later change it back... Might be a way to avoid a lot of hassle.
Even better: change your name to something obscene-sounding that newspapers will refuse to print. Or just Bill Buttlicker.
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I just published a blog post on this today. Not wanting to win the lottery and not playing the lottery are two different questions. I think if someone gave me a ticket and I won... I would have a hard time not believing in that moment it wasn't a good thing...but I'm doubtful it would make me any happier in the long run. I actually think I would be less happy with a billion dollars than I am now as odd as that sounds on the surface.
http://thehappyphilosopher.com/1300000000-ways-to-be-less-happy/
Sorry for spamming the forum with my own link but it's probably easier than me trying to summarize my thoughts here :)
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I wouldn't want to win that much money. The hassle of everyone asking you for money, not being anonymous, no thanks!
However, I did put 5 bucks in the office pool, because you don't want to be the only person coming in to work if they all win.
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For everyone worried about winning that much, you could always donate 99% of it and have ~5mil left.
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I wouldn't want to win that much money. The hassle of everyone asking you for money, not being anonymous, no thanks!
However, I did put 5 bucks in the office pool, because you don't want to be the only person coming in to work if they all win.
LOL this is really my wife's dilemma... "I'm going to feel really bad if I don't put money into the pool and the group wins" but on the other hand "I'm gonna end up putting money in every week and winning nothing" hahaha.
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I would be happy to win. Haven't bought a ticket yet, but might get roped into the work pool this afternoon, we will see.
Dealing with winning wouldn't be easy, but nothing in life is easy. I don't know what I would do, nobody really does. But I do know I'm no dumb kid or dumb sheep, I would make mistakes but I wouldn't lose my head. Anyone can prove me wrong by giving me the winning ticket and see what I do...
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I'd probably say that the benefits of winning would outweigh the negatives, even though they're definitely a real issue. From the other thread about how one would spend the winnings, the majority said they'd give a large portion of it to charity. Maybe if you made the donation in a very public manner it would deter people from trying to hit you up for the money? "Yes, I did win all this money but I've already given it all to the Gates Foundation, so please move along..."
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I would be happy to win. Haven't bought a ticket yet, but might get roped into the work pool this afternoon, we will see.
Dealing with winning wouldn't be easy, but nothing in life is easy. I don't know what I would do, nobody really does. But I do know I'm no dumb kid or dumb sheep, I would make mistakes but I wouldn't lose my head. Anyone can prove me wrong by giving me the winning ticket and see what I do...
I would think anyone winning that kind of money would be apprehensive. No doubt. But I'm a bit disappointed in the negativity of winning the lottery.
Even if winning were to make my life worse, look at the good that could be done.
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I would be happy to win. Haven't bought a ticket yet, but might get roped into the work pool this afternoon, we will see.
Dealing with winning wouldn't be easy, but nothing in life is easy. I don't know what I would do, nobody really does. But I do know I'm no dumb kid or dumb sheep, I would make mistakes but I wouldn't lose my head. Anyone can prove me wrong by giving me the winning ticket and see what I do...
I would think anyone winning that kind of money would be apprehensive. No doubt. But I'm a bit disappointed in the negativity of winning the lottery.
Even if winning were to make my life worse, look at the good that could be done.
Not to think that Mr. Zuckerburg has won the lottery but just look at all the ugly responses to his plans to turn his massive holdings into a charitable endeavor. In my work circles, the feeling was overwhelmingly negative. The disdain was alarming. But its really just that ugly green monster...the ultra rich are seen as having something they don't deserve and therefore the masses assume they should have a slice of the very same thing the other person didn't deserve.
Also the issue of being the only person left in the office can be thwarted simply by having FU money!
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I read other threads about people dreaming about winning the lottery, etc.
Am I the only one that doesn't want to win? And that playing, even for fun, increases the risk that I would win?
I understand you could probably find a way to make it so you anonymously won, or otherwise were not publicly known.
It'd clearly give the ability to FIRE and do things with money but realistically it'd be pretty tricky, because you'd have to either 1) just most of the money to a foundation/charity (probably the best bet) or 2) live a secret life while trying to manage it. Alternatively you could just throw your ticket away, I guess..
While yes, it'd be nice to pocket a few million and comfortably FIRE, you're still going to have to deal with people who know you wondering "how did you manage to retire so early?" and for me, I'm young enough that "saved a lot, spend little" really won't be a believable statement.
Anyone else legitimately not want to play the crazy-lottery for similar reasons?
Yes, I would love to win the lottery!
Thanks for the thread!
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
Agreed.. Buya freaking island for crying out loud.... Very small price to pay indeed.
And lets face it, most people who won would be broke in 5 years anyway.. What a waste.
I remember this gal from when I was a kid.. stupid stupid stupid.. I even thought so and I only found out when I was about 5 years old!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spend_Spend_Spend
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
Agree with this. I think people overestimate the permanence of the celebrity status of these short term news stories.
What's the name of the balloon boy? What about that kid in Texas who built a clock that looked like a bomb? Can you even name a previous lottery winner?
The issue would obviously be personal connections. That might be tough but that'd be an okay problem to have for me, because I have no problem telling people "no thanks."
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
Agreed.. Buya freaking island for crying out loud.... Very small price to pay indeed.
To be fair, leaving my family and basically changing my identity is a very, very non-trivial price to pay.
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
Agreed.. Buya freaking island for crying out loud.... Very small price to pay indeed.
To be fair, leaving my family and basically changing my identity is a very, very non-trivial price to pay.
With $1.4bn.. Take your family with you..:)
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I thought about buying a ticket, but after thinking about what would happen if I won I decided against it.
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I can't imagine anyone here actually not liking the idea of having that money, and if you won, its easy enough to get a lawyer and a financial adviser to make the win super easy for you. I personally don't play because I don't really think about it when I'm out shopping. When people at work offer to go in as a group, I typically do if someone else is getting the tickets. The odds are slim and its just not in the front of my thoughts.
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What are you guys so afraid of?? If you didn't want the hassle of having that much money, you could simply give 99%(or 100%) of it away and be seen as the next coming of Mother Teresa. What's so bad about that?
Continuing with that thought, if you didn't want the money, then "throwing the ticket away" or otherwise not claiming your prize would be a pretty terrible thing to do. You would essentially be giving a billion dollars to some idiot to blow on toys, instead of using it to do good (and that much money can do a pissload of good). Orphans, thirsty people, stray dogs, whatever you like.
Maybe you might not like the attention that would come with being seen as the crazy person who gave a billion dollars away, but keep in mind that people have attention spans of about 3 seconds and it would be pretty selfish to not take the money for that reason alone.
If I were to win, I would probably shave a couple million off the top for me and my immediate family, then invest the rest and donate the returns until I die. If my third cousin twice removed hates me because he really needs some money, he can get ****ed. Any friendships or relationships that suffer from this are probably junk in the first place, so good riddance.
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I would like to win but I wouldn't want anyone else to know about it...THAT is what causes problems as well as lifestyle inflation.
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I know the feeling... sometimes I think of winning a huge lottery and how it would become a full-time job. But that sounds fun for me, and if it ever isn't fun, just pay someone to do the job or give most of it away. Complaining about winning the lottery is a bit like complaining about getting a bonus "because it pushes me into the next tax bracket"
Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Totally agree... there are a lot of famous people with much less than 1.4 billion who seem to do just fine.
I think people overestimate the permanence of the celebrity status of these short term news stories.
Yeah, unless you make a huge ass of yourself, no regular folk will recognize you. Scammers might still target you, though.
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You people that say you wouldn't want to win baffle me. Just don't tell anyone but a tax lawyer from a top 10 US law firm, have him/her set up trust (blind perhaps) and give the lottery ticket to the trust. Now you are the billionaire next door that nobody realizes.
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You people that say you wouldn't want to win baffle me. Just don't tell anyone but a tax lawyer from a top 10 US law firm, have him/her set up trust (blind perhaps) and give the lottery ticket to the trust. Now you are the billionaire next door that nobody realizes.
While I would want to win, it often isn't as simple as this and often you are required to not be anonymous. I don't know if there is truly no way around that, but it may not be possible to just not tell anyone.
I'm sure there would be greedy people coming out of the woodwork, and that would be unpleasant. With the insane sums of this particularly jackpot, you can throw a lot of money at that problem, however, which would mitigate it, it not stop it entirely. Establish a non-profit trust of some sort, hire someone you trust thoroughly, and tell anyone who asks that all requests for money need to be directed to that entity. Repeat as often as necessary.
Sure, there are downsides. And yes, I think we are all more or less equipped to deal with the kinds of problems we grew up around, as sort of a cultural literacy. When our situations change dramatically, we are suddenly faced with a set of problems for which we don't have that same literacy. I imagine it's a bit like moving to another country and not knowing simple things. But I can't imagine the upside, for me, wouldn't outweigh the downside. I'm not as minimalist as many here, and 2000 sqft within walking distance of the beach, and month in Europe every year, while neither DH nor I ever had to go to work, would be incredible. I suspect we'd still play at finances since we find it interesting. If you have half a billion dollars, you probably don't need rental properties, but I'd still make it a hobby. And maybe, if the right person came along, my "giving" branch could have one of them to provide free or very low cost rent to someone deserving. Being able to do that on a large scale would be incredible.
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Meh.
I have great friends I can rely on in times of need, can afford to eat well, get massages, sleep in a warm dry place, and still save more money.
Honestly I feel like I've already won the lottery.
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I wouldn't mind winning. Of course, I'd have to actually play in order to have a chance to win. Regardless, if I came into that much money, I'd actually be happy because I could pay off the houses of everyone I care about, and give them all enough money to live very comfortably the rest of their lives.
Aside from that, I'd probably get more involved in politics. There's a lot of things that could be improved and a large fortune gets you a place at the table for affecting large change.
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We don't play, so our chances our zero. If we did win, it would give us the chance to help a lot of people, which would be lovely. But besides that, I'm quite happy with where we are. So many blessings to simply be alive with a roof, food, utilities, transportation, clothing, health, in the US...
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My idle research has yielded the idea that you collect it under a trust or LLC and then don't have to release your name. You do not have to do the promotional events, pictures, etc, but by law in almost all states they have to release your name to show they really gave the money away. This came after lottery officials kept the money for themselves.
So, hold onto the ticket, open a trust, and if someone really wants to dig, then can find out who is in the trust, but most people won't make that much effort.
And I agree, give away 99% of it. I thought it would be great to open grocery stores in food deserts and supply them with food from local farmers, and not care if it operated at a loss, because um, 1.4 billion dollars. And you'd be helping a lot of people.
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I would like to win and keep it as private as possible. It appears that trusts can claim the prize - so that would be my plan in order to minimize public exposure. I assume if your name gets out the media might show up at your front door - so I'd escape somewhere all inclusive and warm for a few weeks and let things simmer down. I would need some time for mental adjustment and planning anyhow, which would best be accomplished at a very fancy resort that keeps out the riff-raff non-lottery-winners. :P
I would fly first class for the rest of my life. It otherwise will never be worth the cost to me - but with hundreds of millions of dollars - yeah, I'd go for it.
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Regardless, if I came into that much money, I'd actually be happy because I could pay off the houses of everyone I care about, and give them all enough money to live very comfortably the rest of their lives.
That sounds good, but when I think it through, there are a few people in my life who would squander the money immediately and just get themselves further into debt. I can see that causing major rifts between us. I would end up being furious that they took "my" money (even though it was a gift) and wasted it, they would want more money to bail themselves out of their new set of problems. If I let them stay broke they would think I was the worst person ever but if I kept bailing them out they would think of me as their permanent ATM.
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Regardless, if I came into that much money, I'd actually be happy because I could pay off the houses of everyone I care about, and give them all enough money to live very comfortably the rest of their lives.
That sounds good, but when I think it through, there are a few people in my life who would squander the money immediately and just get themselves further into debt. I can see that causing major rifts between us. I would end up being furious that they took "my" money (even though it was a gift) and wasted it, they would want more money to bail themselves out of their new set of problems. If I let them stay broke they would think I was the worst person ever but if I kept bailing them out they would think of me as their permanent ATM.
I have a friend who I would set up a trust or something to pay her bills. I would not trust her to adequately manage money (I know she can't already). I don't think you would just have to hand over a million dollars or whatever to someone if you wanted to help them. There are lots of ways to take over house payments w/o paying off the house, start a college fund for the kids, etc. The money could come w/ the condition of working with a financial advisor/trust/etc. who oversee what/where the money goes.
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I bought my tickets in a state where I can claim anonymously. So Lottery Gods, feel free to burden me with winning the jackpot!
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I have a friend who I would set up a trust or something to pay her bills. I would not trust her to adequately manage money (I know she can't already). I don't think you would just have to hand over a million dollars or whatever to someone if you wanted to help them. There are lots of ways to take over house payments w/o paying off the house, start a college fund for the kids, etc. The money could come w/ the condition of working with a financial advisor/trust/etc. who oversee what/where the money goes.
I have some relatives who I couldn't even have faith in if the money was given to them as a trust. I'm thinking of one who - while her house was being foreclosed on and she was declaring bankruptcy and I think even on food stamps, bought a $500 cat. And with her parents cosigning a house loan managed to default on her loan and then destroy the house so it couldn't be resold (upstairs water damage due to a completely unqualified plumber, which she was incidentally cheating on her husband with). She ended up pulling all the drywall but not replacing it, and living in the house with no internal wall, just the studs. Then she had a fit when her parents tried to step in and hire a contractor to fix it so they could sell the house because they weren't treating her like an adult. They ended up not speaking to each other for years.
Some people I just have to step away from financially and not get involved, for my own sanity.
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Regardless, if I came into that much money, I'd actually be happy because I could pay off the houses of everyone I care about, and give them all enough money to live very comfortably the rest of their lives.
That sounds good, but when I think it through, there are a few people in my life who would squander the money immediately and just get themselves further into debt. I can see that causing major rifts between us. I would end up being furious that they took "my" money (even though it was a gift) and wasted it, they would want more money to bail themselves out of their new set of problems. If I let them stay broke they would think I was the worst person ever but if I kept bailing them out they would think of me as their permanent ATM.
I have a friend who I would set up a trust or something to pay her bills. I would not trust her to adequately manage money (I know she can't already). I don't think you would just have to hand over a million dollars or whatever to someone if you wanted to help them. There are lots of ways to take over house payments w/o paying off the house, start a college fund for the kids, etc. The money could come w/ the condition of working with a financial advisor/trust/etc. who oversee what/where the money goes.
Yeah, my bestie is just awful with money. If we decided to help her, it would likely be a specific offer, like paying off her mortgage or massive (6 figure) student loans, rather than "we'll give you $x,000!" because it would kill me to give her a ton of money and then hear about her money problems again in 6 months while she holds an expensive handbag.
Truthfully I don't even know if we would give money to friends. While I'd want to help them, I'd fear that mixing money in to the relationships might create awkwardness or expectations or something. Maybe it would be better to use that money to help strangers whose need is greater anyway. That would be one of the toughest decisions I'd have to make I think.
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+1 for the I'd like to win and stay anonymous team.
I did not know that most US lotteries require winners to be interviewed. Our state lottery provides a free advisor along with any jackpot who tells people to think long and hard whom to tell and to wait a few months before quitting their job or making big purchases!
Still, a lot of people squander it either to treat themselves or ungrateful family members or 'friends'.
Personally, with anything up to two million I would set up my parents and myself comfortably for life and for anything beyond that I would find other worthy causes. Which would most definitely not include hand-outs to more or less random people suddenly remembering my name or how much they like me.
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If I win I'll give $10k to everyone in this thread
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I wouldn't want to win that much money. The hassle of everyone asking you for money, not being anonymous, no thanks!
However, I did put 5 bucks in the office pool, because you don't want to be the only person coming in to work if they all win.
meh, with so much money there are few problems you couldn't solve. Hire Mike Tyson to punch anyone in the face that ask you for money, then pay them the settlement. Wouldn't even be a percent of the dividends on that stache.
Or you could just keep $1M and give the rest away. Give it to you neighbor in a public way and then that person will get hounded, problem solved.
I'd just need a jet and a few, simple and remote houses in cool locations (tropics, ski resort etc) and I wouldn't be bothered by others again. I think I would be ok with winning. Of course I'm not playing..
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If I win I'll give $10k to everyone in this thread
In for 10k
Anyone that wins, feel free to send the ticket to me. I am a big boy that could handle it.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks $1.4B is just way too much hassle :-) I wouldn't mind a million, though...
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
This is pretty correct. Mine was pretty similiar. First, find a big law firm and hire said law firm partner. Claim money, leave country for 1 or 2 years, have very little contact with anyone. Hire a security (team) to monitor me. I presume it would cost somewhere between $150-$250k a year.
If necessary, change name and come back to States.
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If I win I'll give $10k to everyone in this thread
I'm also here to claim my 10K. :)
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I don't know whether I would or not. I'd be wealthy, but would I be successful? I want to earn wealth and success by overcoming obstacles, so that it's meaningful and builds character. Were I to win, I feel like people would credit my wealth to luck. That would be unsatisfying on a deep, personal level. I'm driven to succeed because I got a late start in life and people had given up on me. I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove. My personal "story" is one of turning it all around and making good. If wealth just landed in my lap, I honestly think I'd be unhappy.
That being said, I did buy a few tickets :)
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You people that say you wouldn't want to win baffle me. Just don't tell anyone but a tax lawyer from a top 10 US law firm, have him/her set up trust (blind perhaps) and give the lottery ticket to the trust. Now you are the billionaire next door that nobody realizes.
Yeah is the hassle of hiring a good lawyer and making a couple trusts really worth it? How much time would that take? lets be generous and say 100 hours, I'm sure we all make more than $15,000,000/hr sooooo totally not worth it right?
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks $1.4B is just way too much hassle :-) I wouldn't mind a million, though...
It's not nearly $1.4bil, though. 930mil lump sum, ~550mil after tax.
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I want all the money I can ever get. Of course, anything past a million or so is going to other people/groups that I deem worthy. I like giving.
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I want all the money I can ever get. Of course, anything past a million or so is going to other people/groups that I deem worthy. I like giving.
Yes, when I think about winning all that money (and we did buy a few tickets this afternoon just for the dream), I get excited about how much fun it would be to give it all away. I have pretty modest needs in life, which means I don't get that excited about all the things I would buy.
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My lottery fun is to play once I hear about it in the news. I bought some tickets two drawings ago, then let my winnings ride on the last jackpot. No winners, so no additional plays this time, but I'm certainly in for the 10k as well:) I guess I could see why someone wouldn't want to win, but I think the downsides for me would be small compared to the upside, and I agree with those of you above in that I would prefer a smaller more anonymous prize...that's counter to my rule above to play only when in the news though, but hey, nothing about a lottery is rational anyway, so why should be motivations be too!
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meh, with so much money there are few problems you couldn't solve. Hire Mike Tyson to punch anyone in the face that ask you for money, then pay them the settlement. Wouldn't even be a percent of the dividends on that stache.
Have to go with utilizing his best skills there Scandium.
"Oh you want some money? I have $100,000 for you in a special bank account. The account number is *psst* *psst* *psst*"
And right when they lean their ear in to hear you, yell out "Tyson! Bite it off!"
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I'd give away 99% of it and if I was required to be interviewed I would say as much on TV. Less of a chance to be harassed that way. And 1% of 800mil (approx after tax lump sum?) is still 8mil, more than enough to live in style the rest of my life.
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I don't know whether I would or not. I'd be wealthy, but would I be successful? I want to earn wealth and success by overcoming obstacles, so that it's meaningful and builds character. Were I to win, I feel like people would credit my wealth to luck. That would be unsatisfying on a deep, personal level. I'm driven to succeed because I got a late start in life and people had given up on me. I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove. My personal "story" is one of turning it all around and making good. If wealth just landed in my lap, I honestly think I'd be unhappy.
That being said, I did buy a few tickets :)
Does it matter what other people attribute your wealth to? I think I could feel very successful running a non-profit or doing other things that make a difference in the world. And I don't think I'd stop achieving just because I had gobs of money, so suddenly things like polishing my novel and publishing it seem doable. Or building several houses that you rent (free) for a year to disabled vets, or whatever causes you cherish. If you have something to prove to other people, those things might not be good enough, but if you have something to prove to yourself, they should be more than enough.
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Just walked by a 7-11, it's getting intense in there.
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I bought a ticket, because it's now a cultural phenomenon and it's a cheap way to be part of it. I am hoping to win a million, which would be the perfect amount to leverage myself into retirement. But I won't say no to the 10K so generously offered! And of course, I will match it if I win the 1.5 billion.
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I'd like the money, but it does give me pause. I think I might be happier winning the million dollar prize. :)
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I'd give away 99% of it and if I was required to be interviewed I would say as much on TV. Less of a chance to be harassed that way. And 1% of 800mil (approx after tax lump sum?) is still 8mil, more than enough to live in style the rest of my life.
More like 550 after taxes, but yeah...even 1% of that is plenty.
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I haven't bought any tickets; I've only bought two lotto tickets in my life actually. My folks bought one each and my mom said something similar to the sentiment on this thread, how difficult it could be to win so much money and who needs that amount of cash? I said, well, think about the amazing change you could make for the world: rebuild schools, pay great teachers a great wage to work in tough places where they're most needed, rehabilitation centers, etc., and since you're so insanely wealthy you can spend as much or as little time you want ensuring these efforts are fulfilled.
And I'd probably buy David Bowie's apartment on Lafayette Street in NYC. Because he lived there, which would be my version of living in a (music) church. And you *know* it's a great apartment and secure enough that "friends" and relatives can't get in without my express approval. Based in NYC, I could attend any music and cultural events I'd want or travel anywhere in the world. Visit at least every capitol city in most countries of the world, tour every great vineyard, see every museum. Music and language lessons.
I'd be a global gypsy and take my closest friends and family along with me for the ride.
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Ultimate prank for those who are ready to FIRE:
Tomorrow, tell everyone that you are resigning because you won the Powerball. Actually leave and don't come back.
Works better if you live near the winning ticket, I guess, but it'll blow everyone's minds for a little while.
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Ultimate prank for those who are ready to FIRE:
Tomorrow, tell everyone that you are resigning because you won the Powerball. Actually leave and don't come back.
Works better if you live near the winning ticket, I guess, but it'll blow everyone's minds for a little while.
LOL, that would be fantastic.
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
This is pretty correct. Mine was pretty similiar. First, find a big law firm and hire said law firm partner. Claim money, leave country for 1 or 2 years, have very little contact with anyone. Hire a security (team) to monitor me. I presume it would cost somewhere between $150-$250k a year.
If necessary, change name and come back to States.
I feel like I agree with this in theory but have enough friendships/relationships that I've built over the course of my life that I wouldn't want to destroy/start over with.
I don't know whether I would or not. I'd be wealthy, but would I be successful? I want to earn wealth and success by overcoming obstacles, so that it's meaningful and builds character. Were I to win, I feel like people would credit my wealth to luck. That would be unsatisfying on a deep, personal level. I'm driven to succeed because I got a late start in life and people had given up on me. I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove. My personal "story" is one of turning it all around and making good. If wealth just landed in my lap, I honestly think I'd be unhappy.
That being said, I did buy a few tickets :)
I think this is a factor too. I think that if I could just quit through no real effort of my own, it'd be somehow less satisfying than quitting based on my savings.
Which is somewhat irrational, when I think about it, since I have had plenty of "luck" getting me to where I'm at financially anyways.
Ultimate prank for those who are ready to FIRE:
Tomorrow, tell everyone that you are resigning because you won the Powerball. Actually leave and don't come back.
Works better if you live near the winning ticket, I guess, but it'll blow everyone's minds for a little while.
This is particularly amusing since my last day at my current employer is tomorrow. Maybe I should tell people that ;)
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Meh, seems like a small price to pay. Take a photo, get your name blurbed everywhere, probably all over the world. In exchange you get a large share of 1.4 billion.
Steps to take:
Delete any social media
Toss phone in nearest body of water
Cash checks.
Then just disappear. Go to Europe. Charter a boat and island hop the Caribbean for a year. Buy camping gear and go to the Boundary waters canoe area and arrange to have supplies flown in once a month. Or insert whatever remote destination you would enjoy.
Granted I have no kids, don't feel the need to see family all that often, and no real attachment to my current location.
Agree with this. I think people overestimate the permanence of the celebrity status of these short term news stories.
What's the name of the balloon boy? What about that kid in Texas who built a clock that looked like a bomb? Can you even name a previous lottery winner?
The issue would obviously be personal connections. That might be tough but that'd be an okay problem to have for me, because I have no problem telling people "no thanks."
Agreed with this. I think people drastically overestimate the amount of hassle you'd get from non-family members. How many lottery winners do you know the names of?
Every owner of an American major pro sports team is a billionaire with their name all over the news (much moreso than a one-time lottery winner) but it's not as if they have to walk around with a SWAT team to protect them. Could you pick out Stan Kroenke, Terry Pegula, Vivek Ranadive, or Charlie Johnson if you were passing by them on the street? Neither could I. I doubt they spend their days frightened of being attacked.
Now your family, sure, requests are probably endless from them. If I were a billionaire I probably wouldn't mind fulfilling most of them though.
Yes, I'd be happy to win.
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I would love to win, except I never bought a lottery ticket. I've been stuck in the Arctic for 35 years, far away from friend or family, so I'm already immune to a lot of social pressure around money and success and would have no problem leaving everything behind to live a secluded life with my hermit wife, somewhere in the world, anonymously for a while. Knowing myself, I would probably waste a few millions on trivial pursuits at first, but as a mustachian and all-around cheap bastard, I'm pretty sure I could handle the windfall without any problem.
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I'm with you. I dont want to win $1.4B. Winning something the $1M second prize would be nice since I could then FIRE immediately.
I agree. 1M is enough to immediately change your life for the better, with less hassle. And not so much that you couldn't stash it. These big prizes are enough to ruin your life by bringing on a whole slew of problems. I've thought that a win like that would require me to move, or at least temporarily go into hiding. I wouldn't like being approached all the time with requests for help/money. I want to give lots for charity, but making gifts of that size would make me want to do it anonymously. People with big money are treated differently -- and not in good ways. Jealousy is a powerful thing. And after developing a low cost lifestyle, I think I would have a hard time enjoying a spendy one.
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I don't know whether I would or not. I'd be wealthy, but would I be successful? I want to earn wealth and success by overcoming obstacles, so that it's meaningful and builds character. Were I to win, I feel like people would credit my wealth to luck. That would be unsatisfying on a deep, personal level. I'm driven to succeed because I got a late start in life and people had given up on me. I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove. My personal "story" is one of turning it all around and making good. If wealth just landed in my lap, I honestly think I'd be unhappy.
That being said, I did buy a few tickets :)
Does it matter what other people attribute your wealth to?
For me, yeah. I want wealth to represent ingenuity and work ethic, not being in the right place at the right time. Just like I respect self-made rich people more than those who inherited their wealth. Not that I'd give the money back or anything.
I think I could feel very successful running a non-profit or doing other things that make a difference in the world. And I don't think I'd stop achieving just because I had gobs of money, so suddenly things like polishing my novel and publishing it seem doable. Or building several houses that you rent (free) for a year to disabled vets, or whatever causes you cherish. If you have something to prove to other people, those things might not be good enough, but if you have something to prove to yourself, they should be more than enough.
Well I hope you won, so you can do those things :) Fortunately for me, I didn't win. Whew!
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I don't know whether I would or not. I'd be wealthy, but would I be successful? I want to earn wealth and success by overcoming obstacles, so that it's meaningful and builds character. Were I to win, I feel like people would credit my wealth to luck. That would be unsatisfying on a deep, personal level. I'm driven to succeed because I got a late start in life and people had given up on me. I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove. My personal "story" is one of turning it all around and making good. If wealth just landed in my lap, I honestly think I'd be unhappy.
That being said, I did buy a few tickets :)
Does it matter what other people attribute your wealth to?
For me, yeah. I want wealth to represent ingenuity and work ethic, not being in the right place at the right time. Just like I respect self-made rich people more than those who inherited their wealth. Not that I'd give the money back or anything.
I think I could feel very successful running a non-profit or doing other things that make a difference in the world. And I don't think I'd stop achieving just because I had gobs of money, so suddenly things like polishing my novel and publishing it seem doable. Or building several houses that you rent (free) for a year to disabled vets, or whatever causes you cherish. If you have something to prove to other people, those things might not be good enough, but if you have something to prove to yourself, they should be more than enough.
Well I hope you won, so you can do those things :) Fortunately for me, I didn't win. Whew!
Sorry to break it to you, but all wealth at least partially (and usually significantly) represents being in the right place at the right time.
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Sorry to break it to you, but all wealth at least partially (and usually significantly) represents being in the right place at the right time.
Wow that's deep. I guess I'll stop working hard and just wait for the wealth fairy then.
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Wow that's deep. I guess I'll stop working hard and just wait for the wealth fairy then.
So youre feeling the BERN i see
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Sorry to break it to you, but all wealth at least partially (and usually significantly) represents being in the right place at the right time.
Wow that's deep. I guess I'll stop working hard and just wait for the wealth fairy then.
Nice straw man.
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Sorry to break it to you, but all wealth at least partially (and usually significantly) represents being in the right place at the right time.
Wow that's deep. I guess I'll stop working hard and just wait for the wealth fairy then.
Nice straw man.
+1. Roughly half of all wealth is gotten through inheritance, and even the wealth that is earned is highly skewed towards those with parents who have higher incomes to afford the best education/healthcare/personal attention/etc for their kids. Yeah, there's a hell of a lot of luck involved.
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I love my life, so no way would I risk screwing it up by buying a lottery ticket. If somehow I did end up with a winning ticket, I think I'd have a blast deciding which charities to give it to. Anonymously, of course. Yeah, that might be fun, but who needs the pressure?
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Anyone with CWs that said they would keep working? I mean I guess if it was a doctor or someone who thought they were doing something that had a lot of humanitarian value to it...
We all do something that adds to society, even if just a little bit, but there is no way I would continue to work at my job.
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Anyone with CWs that said they would keep working?
The only person I know that would keep working their current job is my stepmom, who's a professor. They're already FI (dad's been retired for 10 years), and she does what she does because she genuinely likes it and likes the mental stimulation.
I always figured if I won a ridiculous amount of money in the lottery I'd start a trust that pays for college (tuition, room and board, 100%) for kids that would otherwise have no chance of going. It'd be fun to interview them personally and see a significant change in their life outcome. That would also set me up for people begging for money. 'Can't give you money, it's all locked up in a trust, but I can pay for you to go to school'. Aside from significant medical issues (which may warrant actual cash help), if you can't make it work with a free education, your problems aren't money, and I can't help you.
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I don't play so it is probably a moot point, but I would totally make a huge deal about donating a majority of it to a non-profit I liked and then keeping just a small bit to use toward FIRE.
Less of a target on my back, more time enjoying life.
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I don't know whether I would or not. I'd be wealthy, but would I be successful? I want to earn wealth and success by overcoming obstacles, so that it's meaningful and builds character. Were I to win, I feel like people would credit my wealth to luck. That would be unsatisfying on a deep, personal level. I'm driven to succeed because I got a late start in life and people had given up on me. I have a chip on my shoulder, something to prove. My personal "story" is one of turning it all around and making good. If wealth just landed in my lap, I honestly think I'd be unhappy.
That being said, I did buy a few tickets :)
Yes! One of the parts of FIRE that I'm looking forward to is having others ooo and ahhh and admire how clever I am. Or maybe just being able to see myself as a clever person who has beaten the system. I want the achievement, the sense of having taken control of my own life, the pride of having created my own heaven. You can't get that from a lottery win.