So what would you do with the money if you won the Powerball lotto?

[davidn3600]

$500 million jackpot.

[loudsue]

1. I would donate more to DU and to Wikipedia....

They've put up with so much of my traffic, I've worn holes in the carpet.

[naaman fletcher]

2. cocaine and whores..

no wait, i would donate to whatever cause would get me the most recs

[JohnnyRingo]

151. Diogenes can quit searching

We found an honest man for him.

I'll look you up after I win for a night on the town. You can even pick the town.

[naaman fletcher]

158. sweet

[veganlush]

3. i would spend

Most of it on booze and women.the rest i would just waste.

[onestepforward]

4. I would buy a modest home

and save enough to be able to travel.

The rest would be donated to progressive causes.

[bluestate10]

190. You can likely buy a modest home now if you move to specific locations. nt

[madamesilverspurs]

5. Laundry.

Seriously.


-

[Egalitarian Thug]

6. Buy citizenship in a civilized nation and a nice sailing yacht small enough to automate.

Stash enough around the world to meet my needs for the rest of my life, and then spend the rest of my life giving it away.

[blueamy66]

38. Sounds like a plan to me

Can I go too?

On edit: give a lot to my family members and homeless people

[Egalitarian Thug]

116. Ironically, I live in one of, if not the only state in which you can't buy a ticket.

The mobs and corporate gangsters that run this state don't allow competition.

[blueamy66]

133. Well I live in AZ

I'be got nuthin'

[Aerows]

54. That's exactly what I would do, too

That sounds awesome.

[Egalitarian Thug]

131. I'd miss the horses, though.

Did you get your goats?

[Aerows]

191. Not yet

But winning the lottery would not preclude it. I figure someplace nice in Australia or New Zealand where I COULD raise them, complete with horses, and a boat just for fun. Sooner or later, winning the lottery or not, however, I mean to make that come true. I have a 1 in huge odds of winning the lottery, but more scaled down ideas that I want to do anyway? If I keep putting back enough money, I'll be able to do it anyway

Not that I couldn't do it here. I just wish we had better health care so I didn't have to wait so long to do something like that. That's the real rub about our country. It preaches about self-sufficiency, but honestly, no matter how healthy you are, you are a prisoner to your health insurance until you are 65.

[MADem]

62. What "civilized" nation would "sell" citizenship?

The idea of valuing someone strictly for their wealth, and not the content of their character, isn't terribly civilized!

You'd probably be better off buying a nice high island someplace (seas are rising, after all) and creating your own country. Welcome to Thugistan!

[jberryhill]

66. Quite a few

You might have a look at the various qualifications for immigrating to Canada or New Zealand, for example.

[A HERETIC I AM]

68. Exactly.

Most western style democracies have immigration laws strict enough that if you don't have a skill they desperately need, you have to have the means to support yourself and not be a burden on their system.

[MADem]

81. They're attracting uncivilized people with boatloads of cash...not terribly civilized, IMO.

Canada has a terrible PM, and poor NZ is in what looks like a recently activated earthquake zone.

I'll stick to "inferior" and "uncivilized" USA and Europe!

[jberryhill]

88. Not unless you have the required financial resources

Here is the table of how much you need to earn in order to apply for Dutch citizenship, for example:

http://english.ind.nl/Leges/table-of-standard-amounts-considered-adequate-financial-resources.aspx

Most countries have a variety of categories in which people may apply for citizenship, and most of them include a category along the lines of "you have a lot of money". And that includes European countries.

[MADem]

174. Geez, Ghandi wouldn't qualify for any of these joints....

I don't think they're especially "civilized"--at least the way I take the term!!

Some people....got to have it!!!

[Egalitarian Thug]

103. All of them.

Buying an island would cost too much and there wouldn't be enough left to give away to matter.

[WinkyDink]

165. MONACO!

[LeftyMom]

7. I'd quit my job and take my kid to more ball games.

[Michigan Alum]

8. Open a state of the art animal shelter. Also open a counseling practice where I do a lot of pro bono

Get a condo with my BF, replace my very old car. Help my mother and brother out financially.

[Sherman A1]

9. Set up an educational foundation of some sort

donate to some museums and historical organizations.

For myself & spouse, I would fund our retirement, travel a bit, get a reasonable new house & upgrade cars.

The first step would be to split it evenly with my daughter, put half of the remainder away in savings, have a party for my coworkers (with some gifts for them), take care of family & friends.

[onethatcares]

10. 10% off the top to charity

learn to live like I had $200,000,000.00 in the bank.

My friends would be taken care of.

The thought of that much makes me nervous as anything.

[eShirl]

11. Ensure my parents in their 80s have every comfort they could enjoy for the rest of their lives

Bolster the local school's music, arts, etc, programs and completely subsidize school lunch

Buy out the engine repair business across the street, tear it down and return it to a more natural state like the woods around it

[union_maid]

12. Move, Enjoy, Give

I'd move without having to worry about selling my house first. We'd like to be within walking distance of a downtown. Set up trust funds to ensure the financial security of family members. Give generouslyto the non-profit from which I would be retiring forthwith. Nice place to work, but I'm so ready not to go to work every day. Give lots to animal rescue and Democratic candidates. For starters.

[JI7]

13. see the world

[Historic NY]

14. I would become a Philanthropist.

[NNN0LHI]

15. Bribe my way into the Witness Protection Program

[Uben]

16. If? You mean when!!

I'm buying TWO tickets, which doubles my chances of winning!

[Panasonic]

139. I bought 5 - I got 5x the chances!

[Sky Masterson]

17. Give a good portion of it to republicans

(My sisters are all republicans) X(

And Travel the world.
Also I'd give $$ to help build and rebuild homes for those who lost them for whatever reason.

[Laochtine]

18. I'd run for Congess

and make some real money.

[SammyWinstonJack]

49. hehehe

[ejpoeta]

19. College education for my kids. Help the school, the library

Pay someone to finish the floor and put the block on the bottom of the house. Live off the interest and maybe camp more. Otherwise, pretend it's not there.

[irisblue]

21. weekly mobile vet surgery bus to the homeless shelters.

vet students need to learn, the animals need food and care. spay and neuter clinics, less having to euthanize cats&dogs, housing for animals at battered spouse shelters.
And a really good lawyer and an accountant.

[HockeyMom]

22. Move back to New York

and buy myself, and my daughter, a house.

[Ganja Ninja]

23. I would probably share about 1/3 to 1/2 with my friends and family.

Then I would spend the first year getting healthy, working out eating right, just taking care of my self. After that I would travel a lot. I wouldn't buy a car any fancier than a Jaguar and My house would probably not be larger than 6000 sq ft. When it comes to planes and boats I would rent not buy.

Bare in mind that the actual take home on a $500 million jackpot will be about 36% to 40% after the early payout and taxes are paid. So you're looking at $180 to $200 million dollars if you are the sole winner.

[A HERETIC I AM]

34. $212.81 before any state income taxes.

That figure is the cash option ($327.4 mil) minus 35% for federal income tax.

I live in Florida which has no state income tax, so roughly $212.81 would be my take home.

[Ganja Ninja]

36. So 42.4% of the stated jackpot.

I think I could scrape by on that.

[A HERETIC I AM]

50. If you get a smaller place and buy and old shitbox to drive....

Sure... Yeah.... You'll make it!!

[Panasonic]

140. Actually - I read somewhere that if you establish a trust fund, you don't lose any money

But I could be wrong though.

[A HERETIC I AM]

182. You're wrong.

There is no way to avoid the tax liability. It's gambling winnings, and no trust will protect such winnings from being taxed.

What you CAN do however, is take the money you get after taxes and invest in Municipal Bonds and live off the interest. Then you would never pay another penny in income taxes.

[loyalkydem]

24. It would never happen

but my dream would be to open my own Production studio and maybe see if I can get my eyesight in my left eye restored.....

[lunatica]

25. I'd become a philanthropist which has always been my fantasy

I would truly love to go to work every day to find ways to invest money for the betterment of humanity and the planet.

[KansDem]

47. Me, too!

I'd start a foundation devoted to treating childhood facial deformities, like this foundation:

http://www.littlebabyface.org/index.html

Life's tough enough without having to compete with "normal folks."

[lunatica]

184. What a great website!

I agree.

[Eyes of the World]

26. Hire as staff to handle that question

You will have to talk to them first

[Renew Deal]

44. And then hire a staff to find out where the money went.

[Are_grits_groceries]

27. The first thing I would do is

hire a reputable financial adviser and an accountant. Then I would hire a financial auditing company to watch them. After that I would hire one more person who has knowledge of a variety of financial issues among other thing to watch the lot of them.

That is a huge amount of money to keep up with when divided into different areas. People with a lot less money have been fleeced and by 'trusted' friends.

[former-republican]

32. that sounds like a lot of work

[Are_grits_groceries]

150. Not really.

The vetting and hiring would take time. After that, they would do the work. I would have to have regular meetings to make changes and keep my eye on things, but those times would not be too many.
I would rather spend what would be a small amount of my winnings on this than be picked clean.

[Panasonic]

141. If I win it, I already have someone in mind to play with my money...

Oh, I mean, wealth management.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

155. Where would you put all that money?

My luck I would deposit the check and the next day my too-big-to-fail bank would finally fail.

Maybe Goldmann Sachs? Those fuckers own the government so they ain't going away.

I guess you could spread it around but you would lose some sleep at first until the first check cleared and you were able to diversify.

[Are_grits_groceries]

172. Spread it around in a lot of ways.

I would want to have enough in the safest investments to keep me secure. I would want to diversify too.
I would donate a lot of it.

[XemaSab]

28. Set up a foundation and play god

Urban redevelopment, creating jobs, protecting open space, and educating local kids would be high priorities. Hell, maybe try to bring a UC to northern California.

I'd buy modest houses for a couple people, get a new car, and travel a lot. Maybe go to Mexico and lease a house there for 6 months, come back to the states for a while, go to Yurp for 6 months, and so forth.

It's going to be a good time.

[LWolf]

29. I'd make sure

everyone in my family, seniors to kids, were financially secure for life.

I'd retire, travel, and enjoy whatever time I have left.

The rest?

I'd donate it to causes I care about.

[Iggo]

30. Share.

Heavily.

[former-republican]

31. give most of it away

except for 5 million I would keep for my self.

[Flashmann]

33. So what would you do with the money if you won the Powerball lotto?

Give 495 mil away.....Move to a civilized,sophisticated country.....

[Renew Deal]

46. You don't need $5 million to move

You can walk over the border right now for free.

[NCTraveler]

117. Not sure they would take him. nt.

[cherokeeprogressive]

35. Secede

[Javaman]

37. Give most of it away.

or establish a charity to help underfunded schools.

[Renew Deal]

48. I thought you were going to say

"Buy an oil company"

[AnnaLee]

39. After reserving enough for two self-financed long term care policies.

I would allocate $2M to each close family units and myself. (about $24M)
$10M would go into an investment fund to finance future college educations of family members.
$10M (or more) to Portland State University Science scholarships to give them a little return on their investment in me.
Oh well, the rest would go predominately to scientific research and scholarships, about half to basic research and half to applied research.

[Marrah_G]

40. Build a completely self sufficient farm in the mountains of northern Vermont

Live without the stress of constantly trying to keep my head above water and get all my friends and family out of debt.

[Ghost in the Machine]

41. Give $2 million to my parents, both my sisters, each of my kids..then disappear with the better half

.... and be a very hard person to find, except on the days I would show up in some random town, in a random state, and be the guy out on the street corner giving $100 bills to random people. I would find some soup kitchens and homeless shelters and make some very generous donations to them.

I hardly *ever* play the lottery, but when the jackpots get this high it's just too hard to resist! I bought 2 tickets last night, a quick pick, and one that we chose the numbers on. You can't win if you don't play, right?

Good luck to everyone who is playing!

Peace,

Ghost

[AngryAmish]

42. Join Seminole

[Renew Deal]

43. I would purchase DU and tombstone everyone else.

[Politicalboi]

107. Ahhh!

But you need someone to help you keep the troll population down. LOL!

[denverbill]

195. You don't think they'd part with DU for a mere $400,000,000 do you? What else is in it for them?

[loli phabay]

45. Bugatti veyron for me and a spare for the wife.

[deutsey]

51. Rent out Cheney's Undisclosed Location and drop off the radar for a while n/t

[Hotler]

52. I would buy me a big ranch somewhere and....

take in as many mistreated and abused animals and critters as possible and give them a good home and love.

[BeyondGeography]

53. Leave

[IDoMath]

55. Fully fund the National Lawyers Guild

As well as Last Chance Forever (http://www.lastchanceforever.org)

after that, a few more charities, create some jobs, pay my debts, take a vacation...

[doc03]

56. Keep a couple million for myself and give the rest away. n/t

[truebrit71]

57. After i get out of surgery from the polar and grizzly bear bites I had received..

...(you have about the same odds of winning the lottery as being attacked by two different kinds of bears on the same day)...I would become debt free...pay off everyone's houses in my family...pay for college for all of my nephews and nieces...give my favourite charities a shit-ton of money...find somewhere beautiful to live and build a modest, eco-friendly, house with a nice vegetable patch, maybe a few chickens...and fade away from modern society...except for the Aston Martin DB9 of course...

Bottom line I'd try and make sure my family, and those who loved and cared for me BEFORE i won were very well cared for...and the rest would go to charity

[northoftheborder]

58. Set up some foundations to fund good works and political causes I think worthy.

Make sure all my children and grandchildren had a solid cushion of funds to weather the coming catastrophes, whether financial or climate caused.

For myself, I would go on several nice vacations that I have put off for various reasons.

[lukkadairish]

59. I would....

Pay off my parents' and my inlaws' homes....
Pay off my home
buy a new car and take a ball bat to the old one for fun
Buy a cottage in a boss ski area
Buy a cottage in a boss beach area
Give $ to four local soup kitchens
Set up a scholarship fund for underprivileged kids in my city
Open a free state of the art day care for underserved families
Donate to the homeless shelters and vet home in my city

Sit on the rest until I saw a need I could take care of

[relayerbob]

60. Purchase Grover Nordquist

and export him to anywhere that would take him

[A HERETIC I AM]

71. Start with Pitcairn Island. n/t

[Panasonic]

144. I heartly recommend Bikini Atoll.

He can stay there and rot.

[hobbit709]

61. Partay!!

[CabalPowered]

63. 1st class ticket to mars or the moon

I'd keep my day job. Idle hands and all that..

[RomneyLies]

64. Quit my job.

The only thing about quitting my job is, I wouldn't tell anybody I quit. I'd simply stop answering emails and stop taking calls from work on my cell phone.

It would be fun seeing how long it takes anybody to figure out what's going on.

[jberryhill]

65. Buy more lotto tickets

[Burma Jones]

67. Give it away give it away give it away give it away now

Well about 3/4 of it.........

[mysuzuki2]

69. I would give the bulk of it away.

Family and friends would all get some. Various charities I support would get some. I would invest in business opportunities on the Pine Ridge reservation and other reservations needing economic opportunities for the residents. Perhaps I would set up a charitible foundation. I would keep a nice chunk for myself of course - I'm not completely atruistic! I would buy and operate a minor league baseball team.

[liberal_at_heart]

70. a house, private school for my son, college funds for kids,

retirement fund for my husband and I, start a business, and travel. After that would probably help out our parents and sibings who don't have a retirement account and then would find some charities I wanted to give to.

[BlueMan Votes]

72. move to france.

[immoderate]

109. I lived there as a student.

Learned what "civilized" means.

--imm

[WinkyDink]

166. My problem would be where! Alsace? Normandy? Paris? ETC.!

[slackmaster]

73. Employ the services of sex workers and ingest some benzoylmethylecgonine to start with,

Then I'd order a large The Works pizza to be delivered.

[Myrina]

74. Fund a shitload of liberal studies scholarships & professor-ships

.. in addition to a bunch of nonprofits to fight poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, civil rights and animal rescue.

I'd keep about $5M for myself, the rest would go to the common good.

[NoodleyAppendage]

75. Reconstruct Secret Island Hideout from Man w/ Golden Gun

...and then retire.

[Drale]

76. Buy a house,

buy a new car for me, my sister, my mom, my dad and my girlfriend and go on a spending spree for stuff thats awesome but I don't necessarily need.

[AZ Mike]

77. $500 million (gross) = ~$370 million (net)

I'd take $300 million and buy either a football or basketball team, thus giving me something to do for the rest of my life and the executive salary to match. With the rest of the money, I'd start a non-profit that I have an idea about, buy a home, cars, secure college for my kids and sock the rest (~$50 million) away into savings.

[AZ Mike]

79. Oops.

Sorry. I think the net would be closer to $320 million (about 64% net-of-tax). Adjust accordingly.

[A HERETIC I AM]

96. If you take the cash option, you would get about $213 mil after federal taxes.

More goes if you don't live in one of the 7 states that have no income tax.

If you take the annuity payments, you are going to be in the 35% bracket AT LEAST (it's likely the top marginal rate will rise in coming years) every year for the next 29 years.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

78. Well, after taxes and such with cash payout I would only get about $190,000,000...

so I would have to be careful with it.

But, I would buy two NICE houses. One here (we love our friends here) and one in the mountains (we all love the mountains). A couple of nice cars but nothing extreme or a supercar or anything like that. Set up college funds for the kids. Get a couple million worth of precious metals as a hedge. That should leave us with a healthy amount in the bank.

Then the fun part. Put all that leftover scratch into dividend/income generating investments. I figure with that kind of base you could probably manage 6% pretty easily. That would generate about $9million a year before taxes (assuming I spent $40m on the stuff in the above paragraph). Let's knock of 50% for taxes and whatnot... leaving you with $4.5million take home... about $375K per month.

I could spend the rest of my life giving that money away. Keep say $30K per month for expenses and give every other penny away. And find a way to do it anonymously. Miscellaneous people would find their mortgages paid off... new cars in place of clunkers... kids with college funds... local charities would find their bank accounts propped up nicely. It would be so fun...and if managed properly would never run out.

sP

[AZ Mike]

80. No way.

The lump sum payment would be abou 60% higher than you are estimating.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

82. nope...

the cash payout is $325million and knock of 35% for the fed and whatever state taxes... take right off the top.

sP

[AZ Mike]

154. Fair enough....

Then it seems you'd likely end up with about $175-$180 million - assuming 35% to USG and 15% to 17% to state.

I guess I didn't understand the cash payout amount.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

171. it's way cool...

either way... it is so much money you could care for it and give it away for the rest of your life. that is all i was trying to get to... but now, the jackpot has even gone higher so your numbers may end up being more right anyway!

sP

[Mr Dixon]

83. IMO

I would Buy a house, create saving accounts for my kids, spread the money out in local credit unions and smaller banks, have a few long term investments, start a foundation for the jobless and homeless and go back to work within a week. Oh and treat my wife to whatever she wants.

[Whisp]

84. fix up the small house I have.

Maybe buy the next door neighbours house to expand as a guest house, something like that. I would Not go and buy a ridiculous ugly huge new house.

I wouldn't travel all that much - that kind of desire has passed for me. I am a homebody and I love it. Might start collecting stuff - like swords and daggers, I love the artistry of some of them.

Most of it would go to others I know that are struggling and need a bit of a break.

At least I think I will do this, you never know for sure till you are in it.

[irisblue]

86. we're pricing new energy efficient windows...

maintaince.

[Whisp]

95. you made me think of a geothermal system.

I'd look into that too.

[graham4anything]

85. I would only want 4 million after taxes for myself, and another 12million after for family members

and maybe $100 million to start work on a beautiful statue of Barack and Michelle in DC after Barack's term ends in 2017. Of the two of them fist bumping in sight of Dr. King and FDR and Lincoln.

and a statue in DC of Teddy and LBJ.

and maybe save 100 million to use in all states where women can't get abortions and pay for plane flights to NYC or Paris for all those who need to get to another state and can't afford it

and maybe $100 million to get the NY Jets a winning player for a year or two as it has been 43 years and counting since they last won

after that, maybe I would donate to Mayor Mike Bloomberg's super pac to get rid of guns in America, legal and illegal.
wouldn't that be something

streets free of guns and the lotto money paying for it.


and most of the remainder will go to acquire a lifetime stash of sweet cherries, which now I only have a couple of months a year in the summer, plus 3 weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I would NOT buy a fancy car, fancy clothes, a yacht or bigger house.
Nor would I give a penny to anyone who was rude enough to ask.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

87. Fund something like Venezuela's Sistema (music education), only

with choirs, which would cost less and require less time to bring the participants up to performing level.

Start an educational program for people who can't afford real college and don't need it for their jobs but who would like to attain cultural literacy. It would operate something like the Episcopal Church's EFM program (an established curriculum and weekly sessions), only with a secular focus on world civilizations and wider use of things like the Internet and video materials.

Establish a series of cooperative group homes for able-bodied but low-income middle-aged to elderly single people

Establish a fund at my alma mater so that any student who wanted to could spend at least a semester overseas and that language students could spend a full year

This would occur AFTER I had consulted a financial adviser and made my will. In my will, my nieces and nephews would inherit only after reaching the age of 40, unless they suffered some sort of financial setback such as long-term unemployment or serious illness. (Inheriting too much money too young can be character-destroying.) I would, however, pay for their college and give the one who has already finished college four years of tuition equivalents.

[TexasTowelie]

89. Buy a bag of weed

A very big bag.

[GoneOffShore]

90. Three phone calls - My lawyer, my accountant, my financial guy.

In that order.

Next phone call would be to Air France and buying two first class tickets to Paris. Plans would remain fluid.

Donate to the local animal shelter PAWS, MANNA and several theatre companies.

Shut down our company - we are the only employees.

Travel - a lot.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

91. ooooh... local theatre groups... hadn't thought of that!

good one!

sP

[GoneOffShore]

93. Money devoted to the arts is money well spent.

Had a Marine colonel tell me he didn't learn discipline in the Corps, he learnt it in band.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

123. Venezuela's Music Education System is awesome.

It's produced the new Principal Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He started out as a violinist. Wish we had such great arts programs in the United States.
I wonder what he's gonna do by the time he's forty??????

Gustavo Dudamel:

[Chan790]

92. Burn the ticket. n/t

[ecstatic]

94. Breathe a sigh of relief and immediately switch careers to

what I want to do, instead of what I need to do. Then I'd help all my family and friends out. As far as charities, I'd set up college scholarships.

[RobinA]

97. Recruit a Small Staff

Call lawyer, then money guy. Sock enough away for comfortable retirement. Restore my 1990 RV to mint condition, including bells and whistles. Plan and finance several month cruise around the world for me and a companion. (leave of absence from job, no quitting) Give friends and family some money for pet projects. Research buying modest homes (I'm not the mansion type) in various places I might like to live. Consider getting a job I want, regardless of pay. Rule #1 is - no living unemployed.

[RebelOne]

98. Take a trip around the world,

give lots of dollars to animal rescue groups and give lots of dollars to my son and daughter.

[msu2ba]

99. First thing.

[A HERETIC I AM]

125. LOL! Thread winner! n/t

[Evoman]

100. Unless I could use it to buy a cure for my cancer, it would be useless.

All the money in the world can't keep me from having to get chemo and feel like shit. I'd like to travel, but since I can't anyways since I need treatments and I'd feel too shitty, what's the point......

[IdaBriggs]

122. (hugs) nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

101. First talk to my investment guy

make sure that we can live from interests, that means invest, and use interests for living expenses.

2.- Yes, I would go buy a new vehicle, but only because I actually need it.

3.- Yes, replace my laptop, again, I actually need it.

4.- Set a couple trusts to ensure the education of the nephews and nieces and all that.

We would, after making sure we have the basic expenses covered and all that, and do the repairs and fixes that need doing, do a little traveling.

But the first thing... after taxes and all that, talk to an investment professional.

[Jersey Devil]

102. Like Lewis Black, I would hire a personal ball washer

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

?list=PLBEE874631D0AD0F6&hl=en_US" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Baitball Blogger]

104. The Thanksgiving holidays really put a demand on me so I'm physically exhausted.

So, today, I look and see that there was a lotto winner in Orlando. Yay! I say. I get my tickets out and look at them and notice that not one. Not ONE matches. I think, what are the odds of that? So I begin to tear them up, before I notice that something is wrong. I look at the date on the calendar and realize that today is Wednesday. So, how is it possible that the Wednesday numbers are posted? Whoops! Wrong lotto!

So, I still have a chance to be a winner tonight, and if I do win, boy, the things I would do.

[Gin]

105. When I win.....I will

Pay off my debts.
Give some to family
Give some to others/charities
Secure my financial future

Will post what I decide after the excitement dies down.

[Tikki]

106. Use it to get as many children and domestic animals off the streets...

as I can.


Tikki

[PD Turk]

108. I'd send a fat check to Habitat for Humanity

And I'd get myself the ride I've always wanted



And I'd be employing a full time flight instructor for a while

[A HERETIC I AM]

176. Get yourself a Piper Super Cub first.

You're gonna want some tail dragger experience in something that doesn't cost 2 million before you buy the Mustang!

[PD Turk]

178. Not a bad idea

I've logged some hours in a J3, a Champ and spent a fair amount of time flying Dad's Cessna 140 but that was 25 or more years ago, you're right I better brush up first

[A HERETIC I AM]

185. Very cool!

Long time aviation enthusiast but never had the resources to take lessons.

BTW, Jack Roush has two P-51's, the bastard!

Just for fun, google "P-51 for sale".

Then drool!

[PD Turk]

186. I googled them earlier

The cheapest really slick one I saw was $1.7 mil

still, If I won that powerball I don't think I could resist, I'd probably get a Stearman and a AT-6 too and train up like they did during the big war

[GoCubsGo]

110. Replace my 16-year-old-car.

And, my 15-year-old-plus mattress. Buy some decent clothes. Give some money to my family and friends, and to my favorite charities. Pay off my house. Give it to someone who needs a place to live, along with 10 years worth of taxes and insurance. And, buy a new house that is not in this hellhole state, maybe Santa Fe or the somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. It would have to be big enough to accommodate the cats (and maybe dogs) that I will adopt. I would travel, and take up some hobbies that I've always wanted to do, but couldn't afford.

Quite honestly, I would be more than happy with the second prize of $2 million.

[Zorra]

111. I'd anonymously pay hospital bills for folks who had children who were very ill, and who

were being financially devastated because of the bills.

[KewlKat]

112. The first thing I'd do is buy myself and everyone else on DU who doesn't have one, a star

Then I'd pay off the mortgages on our son and daughter's houses. I'd put a 100K in my MIL's savings account so she could enjoy her life a bit and not have to worry about surviving on $400 a month. I'd find some worthy causes to support, do some charitable work, etc......

[Doremus]

113. Maybe help Animals Asia get a few more bears out of crush cages.

Buy some elephants out of slavery and into refuge. Primates, dogs, cats and all animals out of research labs. Buy all the old, sick, used up horses/livestock on their way to slaughter and give them refuge.

It's nice to dream.

[bluedigger]

114. Whatever I wanted that was legal, lol.

I'd start with sending a check for $50G to each of my Facebook friends, because good fortune should be shared. That would still leave me with about $350M after taxes. After taking care of my physical and health needs, and other family, I would donate much of it to various causes I support, both political and cultural. I'd probably start a business with the remainder, and attempt to use it to influence the industry I am most familiar with in a positive manner.

Or I'd just blow it on hookers and coke. Could go either way.

[Throd]

115. Have a 1,500 foot tall statue of me erected. It will be done in a Soviet-Stalinist style.

The eyes will shoot red laser beams.

There will be a restaurant in the top with an amazing calamari appetizer for only $4.99!

[Go Vols]

124. +1

[Blaukraut]

118. Pay off our debt, set up mom near me with in home nurse, set up trust funds for our kids and

Then set up scholarships for underprivileged kids with the stipulation that they pay it forward. Community service, social work, what have you.

[finecraft]

119. I would build an apartment complex for homeless Veterans

complete with an on-site medical and dental clinic.

[IdaBriggs]

120. Fund curing/preventing cerebral palsy, autism and decreasing infant mortality -

all over the world. Then I would work on making sure that no child on the planet EVER goes to bed hungry, thirsty, cold or uneducated.

You know. Normal everyday life stuff.

[closeupready]

121. Set up some sort of irrevocable trust, firstly.

I think what you are getting at, though is this:

I would probably buy some huge sea-front mansion on the Mediterranean. Always wanted to do that.

[Cleita]

126. I would give some to family, and keep some for myself, but I think I would buy up

foreclosed mortgages and then deed the homes back to the families that lost them.

On edit: I would be very uncomfortable having that kind of money and would find ways to get rid of it that would be most beneficial to most people. I don't understand how people like the Romneys, et al go their merry way and that it doesn't bother them.

[Zorra]

147. Oh, geez, another one of those idealistic bleeding heart liberals.

[Cleita]

153. Hey you forgot the Birkenstocks wearing liberal.

Among those other accusations, I was also accused of wearing Birkenstocks. ??? I have never owned a pair of those kind of footwear. They are much too expensive for me.

[The Magistrate]

127. Oddly Enough, Sir, This uestion Came Up In Our House Within The Hour

I would buy the legislature of Wyoming, and make them dance naked for nickles if they wanted more....

[abelenkpe]

128. Buy medical and student loan debt and set those people free nt.

[bluedigger]

129. Upon further reflection...

I'd just give away free guns and lifetime NRA memberships to minorities.

[Evasporque]

130. first thing...

say nothing for a couple of days.

Tell my partner. We call in sick that day.

Video and photograph and witness me singing the ticket.
buy a fireproof safe and go into hiding....

Say nothing to anyone, leave work.

Contact a close friend and have them meet us then tell them....

This person will contact lottery officials and arrange to bring the ticket in....setup personal security and establish the banking institution to hold money.

Tell family and friends just before the announcement.

Take ticket collect prize, do the required media blitz.

Retreat back into hiding. Arrange for some nice accommodations.

Relocate.

Begin planning disbursement of funds to self, friends and family via trust funds, brainstorm various charitable foundations select foundations to make donations to..

Hire personal financial director. (hopefully someone trustworthy)

Plan world travel for a year or so....settle on a few places to call home.

Live, Give and Love to the end of my days.

[jonthebru]

132. I think I would...

First of all spread it around my family either gifting or organizing a family foundation. Each of the persons would be given a choice in that. Then I would find a nice lot on which to build a modest home. I would keep my job as I can retire in a year.
Pure conjecture of course I live in a state without the lottery.

[Dawson Leery]

134. Have a blind trust formed and collect the winnings though it.

I would invest the money (diversified between securities, bonds, futures, real estate, and other businesses) and set up a foundation to support progressive causes, the Center for America Progress, Northwestern University Innocence project, National Lawyers Guild, and Planned Parenthood.

Also I would give out scholarships for those who wish to advocate progressive causes and the arts.

[kestrel91316]

135. Buy a modest-sized house and fix it up just the way I want it,

buy a decent car, pay off all my outstanding bills, do deferred maintenance on stuff around the clinic, work a few more years, then close up shop (no practice selling hassles, lol) and retire to someplace with decent weather and 4 seasons.

Oh, and a trip to Paris is overdue.

The rest will be fun to spend on liberal causes in my remaining 30 years or so.

[Corgigal]

136. move to a blue state

but buy 500 hundred acres in a red state, somewhere in the south, and open a doggie/cat rescue. Hire DU'ers to help me run the place and have it a no kill shelter.

[Panasonic]

137. Donate $5 million to DU

to upgrade to the best and the finest of the servers - and ensure that every current registered DU'ers are starred for at least 5 years.

I'll buy a used low mileage small plane (maybe a Lear, or a Citation), used to shuttle back and forth between Denver and New York City anytime. Other countries are a maybe

Oh and buy the house I'm living in from my parents, and tear it down and build a decent house that is 2013 compliant.

And give $10 million to both of my sisters to make sure their kids are taken care of. My wife will give 20 million to both parents and brother.

$25 million to my parents for them to retire on and play with.

Oh, and buy all the weed shops here in Denver and make sure they're well-taken care of, and put up any money to fight the feds and the banksters who are refusing to allow transactions to occur when buying marijuana. Maybe start an co-op money exchange for it.

And make sure our Democratic principles are preserved.

[pnwest]

138. set up a non-profit Arts Education Foundation, and

find an awesome old building, big one, aut in living space for me, a studio, classrooms, dorms, gallery space, and room outside for craft fairs.

And buy an awesome cruise, couple months long, for all of my family and some friends, and pay their employers to hire temps to cover them while they're gone.

I love lottery fantasies.

[Taverner]

142. Pay my taxes personally, and then stick it in a variety of investments

And then donate a bunch to ACLU, PFAW and SPLC

[Ohio Joe]

143. And nobody ever heard from Ohio Joe again

[hifiguy]

145. First, decide where I want to live.

Then use the lion's share of the cash to set up a foundation to fund schools just for Asperger's kids, animal shelter/rescue efforts, cultural institutions (orchestras, chamber music groups, theater), science outreach for kids, Planned Parenthood, for starters.

Fund lefty politicians wherever I settled down, which would quite possibly be Australia or New Zealand.

Treat myself to a prairie-style home, buy a couple of sports cars and travel the world, especially Europe and SE Asia. Definitely a beach house in Vung Tao, Vietnam.

[bowens43]

146. I would start pumping it back into the economy....spend ...spend....spend....spend...bnuy....consume

[LadyHawkAZ]

148. While I was packing to travel the world...

donate a bunch to Rolling Jubilee, Planned Parenthood, a couple sex-worker rights orgs I'm involved with, a few homeless and women's shelters, and send a hefty donation to Skinner, EarlG and Elad.

No house though. I love houses but I'm never happy settled in one place. I'd be on the move for the rest of my life.

[coalition_unwilling]

149. I'd go to the bank and make a huge withdrawal in $1 bills, then go

to some public place like a park and just put the money down on the ground and roll around in it. Then I would get up and leave the bills behind. And I'd still have a lot of money left over. (Seriously, I'd probably contribute a shitload to aid programs to victims of our military adventurism around the globe. Thinking Iraq, AfPak and Vietnam\Cambodia\Laos, but also El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Chile come to mind.)

I'd also like to buy one more Guild acoustic guitar to round out my collection. And maybe a Gibson L-5 jazzbox on the electric side.

[Kookaburra]

152. There are a lot of people who could use some $$ right now

I would give away a large chunk of it. I'd make sure that my mom and brother are taken care of for the rest of their lives, and I'd make sure I have enough to live comfortably for the rest of mine, but I don't think the lavish lifestyle would appeal to me, so I'd likely give away the rest.

[SoCalDem]

156. Buy each of my sons a nice house & a new car

Set some aside for our first & only-so-far (expected in January) granddaughter's future education

Hire landscapers for our front & back yards

DUMP KAISER

that's it for starters

[Romulox]

157. Disappear. nt

[adigal]

159. Set up.spay/neuter programs for pets in the south

So I don't have to keep,rescuing dogs,from those hellhole "shelters" where they gas and heart stick them.

[denverbill]

160. Become a Republican and demand tax cuts for the 1%

[adigal]

161. Seriously...this much money would be accursed, ruin most people's lives

Friends would appear out of nowhere, families would get jealous and spiteful and fight. I saw many families break up,when the NYC firemen hurt in 9/11 got settlements. Terrible, how people act over money.
You can keep this amount of money. Unless you plan to give most of it away, it,will ruin your life.

[AlexSatan]

162. Donate to places like

http://www.serenityspringswildlife.org/

"Opened in 1993, Serenity Springs Wildlife Center is home to over 120 big cats, including lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, genets, servals, caracals, and a coatimundi. We are the largest federal and state licensed placement facility in Colorado."

After taking the annuity though a blind trust. And not let ANYONE know we had won (even the kids). Buy family members stuff (and anonymously pay their debts off where possible) but not spend extravagantly or in one place so no one realizes we are suddenly rich.

[graham4anything]

163. This commercial runs in the NY NJ area.I would want Elton/Neil Tenant/Lana Del Rey instead of Cyndi

[WinkyDink]

164. 1. Get a Jaguar X-KE; Move; Help my relatives.

[TeamPooka]

167. I would spend it.

[thelordofhell]

168. Make sure I'm set, I'd pay off my friends debts, Set up a scholarship fund for family

And become a philanthropist

[JackRiddler]

169. It's not $500 million. Advertising fraud.

Or is the Powerball somehow different from the Mega or the normal Lotto?

The claimed jackpot amount in Mega and Lotto is based on the deposit of a sum in government bonds that then yield interest enough to make 26 annual payouts for 1/26 of the jackpot each. (If that's true here, it's around $24 mn a year, but pre-tax! And they will withdraw all taxes from the payout in advance, unlike with other rich people's money.)

On the lump sum payout for Mega/Lotto, the winner gets only the sum to be deposited in bonds, minus taxes (about 45% total in New York City), leaving no more than a third of the announced jackpot.

So again, if that's how the Power also works, the actual lump-sum payout wil be about $160 to $170 million. Just saying - who cares if you win, right? But the lottery purveyors understand the power of announcing these higher jackpots as though that's what the winner gets. It means many more people lining up.

So since it's got porn power, I can never resist playing at these sums -- ONE ticket, no more. (All you're buying is the masturbatory pleasure of spending the money in your head, so again, it's a kind of porn.)

First ten million will be donated to orgs that confront femicide in Latin America and set up African villages with sustainable fresh water. (This will require research.)

Another ten is the family, friends and selective cause giveaway fund. (Should I buy DU? What's a fair market price?) I will help save WBAI, if they agree to move out of the ridiculous money sinkhole office at Wall Street (but keep the Empire State Building broadcast antenna license).

Ten sets me up extremely well for life, real estate, holdings, libraries, work stations, retirement/insurance/etc.

The rest is project funds. What are the projects? Mainly politics and economic reform ideas but not saying here, since the chances are greater than zero that I will be the one.

[A HERETIC I AM]

170. To those of you who say you would give it all away....

Speaking as a former broker and Financial Advisor, here's something to think about;

First of all, I understand the odds against winning, but it could just as likely be a DU'er as anyone else......so ...


If you simply give it all away, then it's gone and gone forever. I completely understand the desire to be charitable, but a much better way to go about it is by using Trusts.

By setting up charitable trusts and foundations, money injected into the trust can be invested in income generating securities (Treasury Bonds, for instance) and the money given away is the interest
payments the trust receives on the investments. One hundred million dollars invested in 30 year treasuries will currently pay $2.75 million per year in interest. By using that money to go to the worthy cause, the trust can exist in perpetuity. You would have the "Random DU'er Charitable Trust" giving money away for as long as you wanted - for a century or more if you liked.

Just giving away giant sums at the beginning is in the long run, a counter productive service to the charities and causes you may hold dear.

Whatever you do, DO NOT COLLECT THE MONEY IN YOUR OWN NAME!. Set up a trust or an LLC or whatever is the most appropriate entity in your state, and send the attorney to the state lottery office to "pick up the check". BTW, they don't want to and most likely won't actually give you a check (except the big one for the photo op). What they'll do is wire the funds to an account you would set up to receive it at either a brokerage firm or a bank. Some states require the winner to have their picture taken. If that's the case, insist on anonimity and/or wear a disguise. You DO NOT want your name published or your picture taken. Stay as anonymous as you possibly can. A couple years ago there were two large powerball jackpots won back to back, about 6 or 8 weeks apart. The first was won in Ohio and they didn't come forward. For a while. When they finally did, the money was received by a lawyer in the name of an obscure investment trust. The second jackpot was won by a young man in Louisiana who showed up on Good Morning America the next fucking day!. Of those two, who do you think will be broke first?

You're going to need an attorney right away, preferably one who specializes in high net worth clients and/or trusts and foundations. You are also going to need a financial advisor or broker to handle the investing. Again, go with one who has a history of dealing with high net worth clients. You are going to need to take the time to set up at least two entities - the LLC or foundation and an investment account, as well as any other trusts like education for the kids, grand kids etc. You have to sit and sign documents for these so get it done before you collect.

Throw your cell phone away. Get a new one with a new number and give that number to as FEW people as possible. If you have a land line, get it disconnected.

If you don't have one, get your passport right away. After the funds settle, GET THE FUCK OUTTA DODGE!!! Put a mil or two in your checking or debit card account and get the hell gone. For 6 months at least. Preferably a year.

This kind of money will bring everyone out of the woodwork, from distant cousins you never knew you had to old high school classmates to every poor schlub with a sob story. $500 million is not enough to fix everyone's problems, so learn to say NO.

Instead of just giving money to all your family members, HIRE THEM. Unless they are total morons you don't want around, hire them to help you run the trusts. Pay them large salaries with fully funded retirements and gold plated health care plans. It's better in the long run because they'll get more out of it. Unless, again, they're total morons. Then just give them a mil or two and tell them never to talk to you again!

Large sums of sudden money does strange things to people, particularly those around you. It absolutely WILL turn what you thought was a dear friend or a loved family member into someone you don't want to have around. Be prepared for such situations.

3 out of 5 big money lottery winners in this country declare bankruptcy within 5 years of winning. Don't be one of them.

Best of luck to all who bought tickets, including me!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

193. That is really very good advice

I'll keep it in mind when I win.

[NoodleyAppendage]

173. Build a Liberal Family Dynasty to Rival the Bushes

I would figure out a way to make the money work for multiple family generations of liberal/progressive descendants such that the result would be a dynasty for good to counteract the evil of the Bush brood.

J

[Agschmid]

175. I have a plan...

- Pay my sisters and my college debt. Treat us to grad school.
- Pay off my mom's house, and offer them new cars.
- Go on vacation for ... a while ...
- Come back go to vet school, and work at a zoo.

[Rider3]

177. Easy!

I would open an animal sanctuary and would also offer therapeutic horseback riding for the disabled (young and old), as well as for our veterans returning from the war. I know just the place I'd buy, too! It's nice to dream...

[jmowreader]

179. Start a corporation that would employ at least 3000 workers

And I will hire DUers to run it...so if I win, start tuning up your resumes and looking at Spokane real estate.

(Why 3000? The first sizable wad of money I ever had was a $3000 enlistment bonus. So...one employee per dollar.)

[notadmblnd]

180. a lot of good things

I would make a lot of people's lives much easier

[PDJane]

181. Make sure family was taken care of, including family of choice.

Do some travelling, find out where, precisely, I want to live, buy a house and garden, and donate a whole lot to causes that need the cash and will spend it wisely.

[savebigbird]

183. I have had a plan for a looooong time just in case

1. Split it with my family (small family)
2. Donate a tenth of my winnings to a local animal shelter (which happens to be a no-kill)
3. Buy an electric car
4. Save the rest. I'd keep working my job and living in my house and feel more secure knowing the money is there in case I need it.

[Posteritatis]

187. Hide.

I can't imagine the bullshit dropped on anyone who wins anything close to that - everyone from professional plaintiffs on down trying to extort or otherwise get their claim of it.

If someone actually tossed something like that at me, I'd seriously consider doing whatever was necessary to change my identity; when I felt reasonably confident I wouldn't have half the neighborhood and most of the media stalking my every move, I'd start quietly making friends' and family's financial problems go away.

That wouldn't make too big of a dent in it, so I'm sure I'd find something useful to do with the rest, but I haven't thought too hard about that part. I mostly feel sorry for the people who win stuff like that on account of how much they almost certainly lose of their own lives in the process.

[Bluzmann57]

188. Take care of my parents, my in laws

buy a new house (in the middle of nowhere preferably), a new car, and donate heavily to a few charities. Such as the American Cancer Society.
Maybe buy a politician or two as well.

[bluestate10]

189. I don't own tickets. If I did, I would want to win a smaller prize. But if I won the big prize?

I would dig a hole and pay someone to bury me.

[Ilsa]

192. Help fund gambling addiction programs

that have been cut, set up some foundations, trust funds.

[quaker bill]

194. With money like that you could almost run for President

I would probably pass though.

[hrmjustin]

196. I would help my family and friends.

[oneshooter]

197. Strange, nobody offered to give it to the federal government to help lower the dept.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

198. because $500million wouldn't make a bit of difference... NONE!

so... not really strange.

sP

[chemenger]

199. Probably die

before ever spending even one penney of it.