Twenty million dollars is a nice chunk of money. If you won a $50 million lottery how would your life change? What would you do differently? Would you continue to work? What dream would you realize? What would you do?

 

I do play the lottery even though I do not consider myself a gambler. But I play both the Lotto South and the Mega Millions every drawing. I know that lotteries are for people that are poor at math! I have more than once heard people state that by buying two tickets that they are doubling their odds of winning. It reminds me of the old saying: "What has six balls and screws the poor? "

I can afford the six dollars a week that I spend (not invest). But, if I were to win it would change my life. I could retire!

I have always said that if I do not win that I only hope that the people that do win do some good with it and it makes a difference in their life. I understand from a co-worker that the couple that recently won $130 million in the Mega Millions have no plans to change their lives except for buying homes for their children.

If I were to win $50 million I would set up a blind trust to claim the prize and then set up another trust for $5 million of that to assist families of Viet Nam Veterans and those families of POW/MIA Then running that foundation would become my work.

As far as the dream? I would go back to flying.

 

Human Rights Watch would get a nice check.

I'd do some financial planning and invest a good chunk of it, and try to limit myself to whatever dividends and interest payments I received. I'd dip into the principal periodically as I got older.

I would stop working and develop some of my own business and artistic ideas. There's a few things I'd like to patent.

Houses, cars, travel... the usual stuff.

I probably wouldn't leave too much for my kids, other than an excellent college education. I think hard work builds character. Just look at Paris Hilton.

 

I know I'd change lots of things, but the first and most satisfying thing I would do is sleep in. (Course that would mean I quit my job.)

 

I'd start with retirement.

 

I don't know that I'd quit working...I'd definitely take a year off to do fun stuff and do (or have done) all of the stuff I want to update the house. I'd pay off all of my bills. I'd also probably get a home somewhere warm and only accessible by boat. Friends and family would all get enough to pay off bills to help them live comfortably (if they're smart with their money...I'm not floating them for life ...except my parents). When I went back to working, it would be to do something I've always wanted to do for fun (and income). I'd donate some to charities I see actually doing something productive for society...children, the elderly and animals. Oh, and I'd get a new Mustang GT (as well as a '65) and a Mini Cooper S (and fix my '63 up), but the S2000 would still be the queen. OK, so that's about 5 million I've just spent. The rest would go into investments and savings of some sort and I'd try to live off the interest....I do want my kids and grandkids to suck up to me while I'm alive and look forward to my death, after all

 

with that part. I'd probably build myself one of those ultra-modern houses with loads of glass and stainless steel and the kitchen of my dreams. Otherwise, I'd devote myself to doing anything and everything that +1 and I want to do. I do know that I'd set up trust funds to take care of the kids and grandkids so I didn't have to worry about them being foolish. I'd hire Rob to handle all my day to day expenses and pay my bills (and there would be lots of them, Rob ). Now, when it comes to cars . . . there'd be lots of them too. I just can't get over that intense longing to own cars . . ., but hey, its what I get up for in the morning!!! [And, Grannyrod, darlin', you wouldn't have to worry about working in that stinking closet anymore, you hear?? and, TC -- you and Hilly would be my neighbors 'cause I like quiet, nice neighbors and this is all about me and my $50 mil, right???]

 

I would pack up my immediate family and move to somewhere in the Indo-Pacific to spend my remaining years studying and enjoying coral reefs.

 

I think Rick and I would both quit our jobs. But I would still need something to do, some purpose in life, but not sure what that would be. We' d probably build a house with more land and look for more privacy in the process. We'd also need a big garage to house the cars Rick would love to have.

It would be nice to provide some financial security for our son, and his family as well as other family members who could use some help.

Maybe we'd travel more.

One thing for sure, I would NOT spend my winters in Massachusetts!

 

I hope you would all contact a high-end estate planning attorney. I happen to know a couple of good ones.

Seriously, I would invest it, live off the interest, and travel. Maybe implement some cool charitable giving/planning techniques.