What would you do if you won the PowerBall Lottery?

[Iggy]

With the Power Ball Lottery up to $800,000,000 (Cash $500,000,000) what would you do with that amount of insane money?

I would sell my motorhome and when I want to travel I will call my private driver and tell him to brink my Cadillac around to take me to the airport where my private jet will take me where ever we want.
My assistant will call ahead to be picked up at the air port upon landing and take me to the finest hotel suite in that area.

Ok now I spent a few bucks doing this now what will I do with the $499,000,000 million that's left?

They say most lottery winners go bankrupted within 5 years.

Anyway what would you do with your winnings?

[Wobbles]

I would not tell my wife. On weekdays, I would get up everyday and leave the house like I am going to work.


Oh, and like the sign says;

[ColoradoRick]

Priority #1 would be to let as FEW people as possible know!! Priority #2 would be for personal protection for my family so hiring a few private bodyguards would be prudent. (And moving them all to unlisted, gated communities asap.) Then, hiring a team of financial, tax, and legal advisers....that's a LOT of money to manage!!

You're right about past winners....I saw a 60-minutes show some years ago and every winner who would talk to them said it was more of a curse than a blessing to win so much money. (Murders, kidnaps, lawsuits, drug addictions, etc. was a pretty common theme.)

I think money management is critically important. I know people in my family who only earn $30,000 a year (but are excellent at managing their money) who are living better than some who are making over $90,000 a year!

[DaveandSue]

I would just keep camping and working on my camper and truck until it was all gone

[Ford Idaho]

I would invest it in my 401, I'd like to see it make money before I retire.

Likely be broke inside of five years doing that.

[ColoradoRick]

AND it just went up to $900 Million!!!

Oh, I would buy my dream car...a 2016 Jaguar XJ!!

[fonzie]

I'd start shopping here....but since I can not win it, it is only a dream....

Private Islands For Sale Worldwide

[drittal]

Have a heart attack moments after checking my numbers and never get to enjoy any of it.

[Wiscampsin]

I'm with fonzie. Buy a private island, sit on the beach and watch the world go by.

[RedLdr1]

I worked with the company designing and installing the network infrastructure for the Georgia Lottery when it started in the mid-90's. The saying around the lottery folks was winning is like rubbing a magic lamp and freeing the Genie, you get three things. But unlike with a Genie you don't get to chose those three items. They are, in order of appearance, a New Car, a New House, and last but not least a New Spouse. Number Three will cost you most of your winnings in a state like Georgia...

If I won a serious amount of money I would not turn in the ticket until I had my legal and financial advisers on board...

[Iggy]

All great ideas. Keep em coming.

[Sharon455]

I'm with Colorado Rick. Tell no one, gather a team of legal, tax, and financial advisers, change phone numbers, fly kids and grandkids in from both coasts, and then go claim our prize. My first payment would be to my church (if it would accept the money, since some refuse offerings based on gambling wins), then we would pay off both of our houses (each had one when we married), upgrade our 10+ year-old vehicles, pay off children's student loans, and MAYBE give each adult child a gift of money. Not sure what we would do with the other 499 million, but I'm sure we could find some safe investments. I would also want to set up a charitable foundation, but DH says it would be too much work to weed out the frauds.

[SKnight]

1. Not tell a soul.

2. Put the ticket into a safe deposit box at a major bank I'm not otherwise tied to.

3. Establish various protection protocols.

4. Research and hire the appropriate firm to manage it for me. I'm not terribly good with money, and that would be well over my head.

5. After all this, go claim my prize.

6. Walk away from the house and quietly move into my camper as a nomad until things die down. Maybe a year of hiding in the various forests. If they can't find you, they can't beg, borrow, steal from or kidnap you.

7. Live off the interest, and decide what to do from there, I can say anything about what I'd do but I'm sure my entire perspective would change once it was reality.

[Crusadernoob]

Buy a new Sanibel........oh, and I'd change my fuel filers before I went on my permanent vacation.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by SKnight

1. Not tell a soul.

2. Put the ticket into a safe deposit box at a major bank I'm not otherwise tied to.

3. Establish various protection protocols.

4. Research and hire the appropriate firm to manage it for me. I'm not terribly good with money, and that would be well over my head.

5. After all this, go claim my prize.

6. Walk away from the house and quietly move into my camper as a nomad until things die down. Maybe a year of hiding in the various forests. If they can't find you, they can't beg, borrow, steal from or kidnap you.

7. Live off the interest, and decide what to do from there, I can say anything about what I'd do but I'm sure my entire perspective would change once it was reality.

NBC had a good article several years ago about this, that pretty much mirrors Sknights post above. One difference is to hire a good attorney as people will come out of the woodwork trying to falsely claim you owe them for something or the other.

Lottery winning 101: First get a lawyer and a tax expert - NBC News

[Happy Vibe]

If I won I would get all the advisors lined up and then disappear for a while.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by Happy Vibe

How are you not going to tell a sole if every news station in the country is broadcasting who won?

They don't know "who" won until you come forward and present the ticket. You'd have plenty of time to get organized before you have to present the ticket.

[Ford Idaho]

Can you not collect anonymously?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Can you not collect anonymously?

Only in certain states.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...if-you-n492981

I would be more concerned for my kids safety than anyone.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Can you not collect anonymously?

Only in these states.
Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina still allow winners to remain anonymous.

So when you win you will have to tell us. Right?