Just Had to Ask: So If You Won A Billion Dollars

[floridaice]

The dream ends for me -- 11 tickets, had 2 of the numbers total. The last time there was a large jackpot, didn't get a single number. Guess that is an improvement!

I'd do the similar things if I won -- take care of family and friends, set up scholarships, travel and not have to worry about retirement.

Not sure I'd quit my job, but I would start speaking my mind a whole lot more and call out some of my co-workers on their BS

 

[BigB08822]

If I won such a large amount as it is now I would buy a nice place in NYC, a nicer place here in Baton Rouge and a beach condo somewhere. I would then invest the rest and live off of the interest which would be more than enough to pay for travel during the year and eating out every night of my life. I don't care to buy tons of vehicles (although I would buy a new car as well, I am sure) or boats or planes or all that stuff and I don't want a home so large I need a staff. I would take the lump sum so it could begin making me insane interest immediately.

By the way, I am seeing everyone on Facebook freaking out because apparently no one won and the jackpot will be 1.3 Billion. Not a single confirmation article can be provided and the ones provided only state no one won in a certain state. The misinformation that flies around because of Facebook is just sickening.

That said, I hope they are right. lol

 

[Glide2]

It's official. 1.3 Billion. http://www.powerball.com

 

[BaileyCatts]

Dammit. Was in an office pool. Guess I gotta go to work Monday.

 

[Buzz]

That is a ridiculous amount of money to give away in a lottery.

 

[Marge_Simpson]

We were discussing this at work, since about a dozen of us in the lab have a lottery pool. With a billion we could buy the hospital where we work, but then we'd have all the bother of running it. We decided we'd erect a huge billboard across the street so that all our former coworkers would see it when they came to work. It would have all of our grinning faces on it, and the caption, "We're rich and you are not!"

 

[Frau Muller]

It's official. 1.3 Billion. http://www.powerball.com

The dream continues! The pot will grow like crazy between now and Wednesday night.

 

[Cachoo]

I think Buzz, Peter and others are right: What if you divided this into drawings for, say, 5 million dollars each? Or enough, after taxes, to say you are a millionaire? I would much rather see the "pot" be spread around in this way rather than one or a few people splitting over a billion dollars. Why change one life when you could change many lives?

 

[danceronice]

My house needs renovating/repair. I'd be very, very boring and wouldn't make many decisions without a professional financial adviser. It sounds good to talk about giving things away and spending on fun but in reality there are enormous tax and legal ramifications.

 

[Susan1]

at PeterG. The store where my daughter works sells lottery tickets and when I dropped her off and picked her up today, the line to the cash register was out the door. I was . Until she explained about the lottery, I had no clue.

I forgot about it too yesterday. I didn't think all those cars were there to buy snacks for the Bengals game last night. Then when I got my cart, I couldn't even turn right into the store and had to go through an empty checkout lane the wrong way, people were so piled up at the service desk. None of them won!

And yeah, PeterG, the Ohio Lottery used to pay out something less for 4 numbers (and 5 numbers). I guess the national one couldn't do that. I would be happy with $1M if I got 4 numbers. I guess I would have to actually buy a ticket?

When it was big (not THIS big) people where I used to work used to get together and give $1 to the person buying the tickets, and if one of them won, everyone who gave the person money to buy them would split it. I only did that a few times. Never won though.

I won $50 in October on an instant scratch off that was a birthday present from my aunt!! We buy them for each other every year. I won $16 the year before that. She picks out good instants. Maybe this year will be the big one! I saw on the news that there's a store in Kettering that actually had a million dollar scratch off winner years ago.

 

[Simone411]

No luck for me, either, this time around. I got one quick pick and then used my family's birthdays as lotto numbers. I did this because several years ago, I used them and got 4 out of 6 numbers in the Louisiana Lottery. I'll never forget it. The numbers were being called in the exact order that I had them. I was freaking by that time because the Louisiana Lottery was up to $6 million. The fifth and sixth numbers were one off!

I thought 4 out of 6 would have been pretty good, but I only won $50 dollars. I then realized that $50 dollars wasn't so bad. If I didn't purchase the ticket then I wouldn't have won $50 dollars. I had only purchased one lottery ticket, and that's all you need.

I've already purchased my lottery ticket for Wednesday. I got one quickpick and used my family's birthday numbers for the other ticket. Good luck everyone!

I also meant to add that if I won one billion dollars, I would help my family and also start trust funds for all my nieces and nephews. When I say family, I also mean my aunts, uncles and cousins.

I would also make donations to several organizations and charities. Those included would be Saint Jude's Children Hospital, Children's Miracle Network, American Cancer foundation, UNICEF, Feed the Children, American Heart Association just to name a few.

I would also help out some of my friends that really need it at this time. Then, I would build a new home and go to several figure skating competitions!

 

[Matryeshka]

I would buy my mom's dream house. I'd pay off my younger brother's student loans and buy him a house so he and his girlfriend could get married. I'd tell my older brother to go to hell and stick my sister in the best rehab facility I could find and buy her a series of restaurants she would run into the ground, but at least she would be working. I would buy my nephew his freedom from his horrible father and set up trust funds for my two grand-nieces.

I'd buy a bunch of land and shelters for older dogs who don't have hopes of being adopted to play and be happy, especially pit bulls, rotties, and other maligned dog breeds.

I would buy an average-ish size house with a nice yard and a pool with a grass area so the Gatsby can run around and bark at everything. I would get my foster certification and would foster older children/teens, cause I really can't stand babies or anything under the age of 7 without fur. Then I would give money to all sorts of liberal Commie pinko causes and travel EVERYWHERE. And write the great American novel.

So....that's what I SAY I would do. This is what I would PROBABLY ACTUALLY DO:
Buy my mom's dream house. Buy a house with a big yard and a Hugh Hefner style pool and a Cabana boy and a goat and a llama and a bunch of penguins and an Arctic shelter for them. And a doublewide trailer with a hot tub. I would glitter EVERYTHING. I'd buy a lot of overpriced shoes and bags and then put bedazzled feathers on them because now that I'm rich everything I do is not weird but eccentric. And maybe a private plane so my friends and I could TERRORIZE THE WORLD and perpetuate the stereotypes of entitled Americans abroad. And then I'd buy a mountain and a private island that I'd never actually visit. And try and start my own cult. I would go to a bunch of skating events and make insufferable comments BECAUSE I CAN. I would become the most shallow person on the planet and talk about the little people who made it all possible. And when the money runs out, I'd go on a bunch reality TV shows and whore myself out for Lifetime.

 

[TOADS]

Frankly I don't know.

What I would do is sit down with a team of lawyers and financial advisors to gather as much information as possible before I do anything!

 

[Vash01]

The jackpot is 1.3 Billion now, but typically the winner gets half the amount, after taxes, etc. Still, 600-700 million is nothing to sneeze at. Even if you get 5 numbers out of 6, the payout must be substantial. I still need to buy my 5 tickets for Wednesday's draw.

 

[Buzz]

According to CNN the jackpot is now up to $1.4bn.

 

[BaileyCatts]

The jackpot is 1.3 Billion now, but typically the winner gets half the amount, after taxes, etc. Still, 600-700 million is nothing to sneeze at. Even if you get 5 numbers out of 6, the payout must be substantial. I still need to buy my 5 tickets for Wednesday's draw.

If you get 5 numbers right you get $1,000,000. I think it should be more. There were apparently 28 tickets sold that missed the jackpot by only 1 number. Man ... that's gotta hurt! Since it wasn't me, I can laugh at that. Although our office pool did win like $15.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

I am laughing at the "glittered everything" posted. So funny!

 

[PrincessLeppard]

I'm trying to decide if I want a fabulous condo in New York City, London or Berlin, though I suppose with that money, I can have one of each. All three will be pink and glittery. @Matryeshka can be my interior designer.

Oh, and cats. All the cat charities.

And shoes. So many shoes.....

eta: and @Southpaw can be my personal assistant and tell greedy bints to piss off.

 

[Buzz]

With that kind of money you could buy THIS place.

 

[Cachoo]

Here's what would concern me: Privacy. And even more than my privacy would be protection for the children in my family. I think there are some people out there who might try to take advantage in the worst possible way. I think whoever wins will have to seek protection.

 

[moebius]

I would definitely quit my job.
Help my family pay off debts.
I and my family would live comfortably, but not extravagantly in a safe neighborhood.
Donate not money, but resources and my time to reputable non-profit organiziations.
Travel the world in first class style.
Attend rock concerts, festivals, Olympics, skating competitions around the world with front row center seating.
I think that's it for now..

 

[KCC]

Here's what would concern me: Privacy. And even more than my privacy would be protection for the children in my family. I think there are some people out there who might try to take advantage in the worst possible way. I think whoever wins will have to seek protection.

I bet if the winner does something wrong, it will be all over the media and attributed to affluenza.

 

[DBZ]

Here's what would concern me: Privacy.

That would be a big concern of mine too if I won. Frankly, would it even be possible?

If one were to win, is there any chance to maintain privacy with a jackpot this big? I think you can claim the prize anonymously, but I just can't imagine being able to realistically keep your identity hidden in the age of social media now.

 

[Buzz]

The jackpot is now up to $1.5bn.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/11/tallying-the-big-tax-bite-of-a-14b-powerball-win.html

 

[Cachoo]

I would love it the lottery folks would now announce that they were having drawings to split the fortune into ten million dollar prizes. Of course that won't happen but I love the idea of many people winning instead of a few.

 

[flyingsit]

I would give an awful lot of the money to the Innocence Project. And to the people who are freed from prison by the Innocence Project, who often have to start over after many many years with nothing.

 

[Jenny]

to all the FSUers who would help animals!

 

[Vash01]

I was thinking this morning that there are so many places I would like to see, and take family members along too, like my sister, her son & her husband, etc. the big prize will allow me the time and money to do it and still have plenty left to help others.

 

[Rob]

I would quit my job immediately. I know what I will do with my time. I will hire a financial planner at the earliest opportunity to make sure that I will have a comfortable life, and I won't just give away my money to anyone who asks for it. It's important to pick who I give it to. Can't help the whole world, so I have to be selective about who/what I help.

I will share some of my wealth with my family and friends. I do want to build shelters for the homeless and have a training center in each, so they can go out and make a living, and not become homeless again. It breaks my heart to see people who have no home and no food, but just giving them those things won't solve the problem. They need training of some kind.

A friend of mine wants to build shelters for homeless animals. I may put some money in a trust for her venture. I also want to donate to certain spiritual organizations and to those who help people made homeless by disasters.

This works for me.

 

[Frau Muller]

The jackpot is now up to $1.5bn.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/11/tallying-the-big-tax-bite-of-a-14b-powerball-win.html

Ok. So now, in addition to donating to my favorite ballet company, I'll build them their own theater so that they no longer have to rent locations for their shows.