What Would You Do If You Won The Lottery?

[Scott]

Well.............I didn't win the 54 Million Mega Million Lottery last night. What would you do if you won 54 Million Dollars?

Here's a list of what I would do:

• Put Money In The Bank and Make a simple 5% garenteed CD investments
• Go to the Philippines to help In-Laws with housing, business, and possibly coming to the states if possible. (and anyone one else in my family I feel obligated towards)
• Tour Philippines (Been there twice, but not far from Manila)
• Tour Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand while there. (2 Months)
• Tour Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea (2 Months)
• Tour Tibet, Nepal, India (1 Month)
• Tour Isreal, Egypt (upper/lower), Petra, Jordon (1 Month)
• Tour Greece, Turkey, and anywhere that might be relatively safe South of there. (1 Month)
• Tour Italy (1 Month)
• Tour Western Europe (3 Months)
• Tour Eastern Europe (1 Month)
• Tour South America (1 Month)
• Tour Central America (1 Month)
• Tour Africa - North/South (1 Month)
• Tour Canada/Alaska (1 Month)
• Tour Finish Tour of U.S. 50 States (2 Months)
• Tour Carribean (2 Weeks)
• Tour Hawaii, Polynesia, Tahiti, Easter Island (1 Month)
• Find New Place to live in the U.S. (Possible Hawaii, California, Utah, Colorado, or New Mexico)
• Purchase Home that will Serve Future Plans
• The Ultimate Film Library and Entertainment Center In The House
• Start Small Business (later big) with my Inventions/Creations
• Finish Writing "The Book"
• Start the New Religion

Will be travelling the first 2 years before getting to work on my projects.

What would you do if you won a big lottery?

[raj]

Pay off my student loans and mortgage.  Get a nice big flat panel tv.
Mostly, I'd invest and live off the interest.  Also donate to some charities of my choosing.

[Poogie]

Probably have a heart attack or end up in a institution of some sort. 
Help out family and some close friends, fix up the house, donate to help animals (I'm an animal lover), buy alot of mocha frappucino..... And then wait one year before doing anything else, that way I'll be in my right mind, hopefully......

[Acidburn]

I suppose the first thing I would do is purchase a Home for the family. It would be amazing to have something very nice and new and PAID FOR! Then do the usual cars, take care of family and so. Then the next thing would be take whatever is left and put 75% of it up into CD's and such. That way I will always have some money forever. Then take the remainding 15% and buy as many kiwi as I can get my hands on!!!!!  Nah after that I would just head out to the stores and get alot of cool stuff that I have always wanted.

[Doc Daneeka]

Buy more DVDs than Andrew

[ulthar]

I might keep a little bit to invest, but I'd give nearly all of it away.  There are others that "need" more than I do.

A friend of mine on another board uses the following phrase as his sig:  Satisfaction is wanting what you already have.

Money cannot buy happiness, and to paraphrase J. Candy's character in Cool Runnings: "if you are not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it."

[BeyondTheGrave]

To be honest I wouldn't know until it happened. One thing though I definitely get a loft in Manhattan.

[Ash]

Most likely, I would probably use a large chunk of it to build an empire of retail hat & headgear stores across the Midwest.
Kind of like Lids or Hat World...but all mine.

But before I did all that, I'd throw the biggest party imaginable!  
You're all invited.

[Doc Daneeka]

Even Menard, Banned Porn Spammer, and Plan9Superfan?

[Scott]

Not that we need to have money to be happy or content, but if I were to have won 54 Million dollars:

1) Travel
2) Take Care Of Extended Family
3) Build Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico
4) Yoga/Tai Chi/and Dance room for me and my wife with a view of the mountains.
5) Indoor Theater for Movies
6) Library/Study (books and video)
7) Outdoor Temple
8) Own A Drive-In Theater Near-By/Business/Promotion
9) Big Kitchen/Bathroom/Garage
10) Recreation Vehicles
11) Horse Stable
12) Garden/Spa
13) Weight Room
14) Guest Rooms
15) Secret Passageways
16) Invest at least 3-10 Million in CD's for Investment
17) Media Studio for making TV and Movie productions

Daily Activities:

1) Hiking
2) Working Out
3) Watching Obscure Movies
4) Writing/Reading
5) Lounging/Jaccuzzi
6) Cooking
7) Growing Food
8) Riding Horseback
9) ATV's in Back Country of the Southwest
10) Spreading Truth
11) Making Movies

[CheezeFlixz]

Guess it would depend on if it was $2M or $200M if it's $2M you'll have about $1.1M after taxes and in the real world that aint't much. If it's $200M or more then I'd vanish. POOF ... GONE ... I'd transfer the winnings after taxes to a Swiss account where I'm only a number and you never hear from me again.

In short I'd be worlds riches vagabond.

[Thorn Is]

hire some dude to follow me around with a getoblaster, who's specific job is to play "Staying Alive" at full volume while I strut around town

[Poogie]

Not that we need to have money to be happy or content, but if I were to have won 54 Million dollars:

1) Travel
2) Take Care Of Extended Family
3) Build Ranch built near Santa Fe, New Mexico
4) Yoga/Tai Chi/and Dance room for me and my wife with a view of the mountains.
5) Indoor Theater for Movies
6) Library/Study (books and video)
7) Outdoor Temple
8) Own A Drive-In Theater Near-By/Business/Promotion
9) Big Kitchen/Bathroom/Garage
10) Recreation Vehicles
11) Horse Stable
12) Garden/Spa
13) Weight Room
14) Guest Rooms
15) Secret Passageways
16) Invest at least 3-10 Million in CD's for Investment
17) Media Studio for making TV and Movie productions

Daily Activities:

1) Hiking
2) Working Out
3) Watching Obscure Movies
4) Writing/Reading
5) Lounging/Jaccuzzi
6) Cooking
7) Growing Food
8) Riding Horseback
9) ATV's in Back Country of the Southwest
10) Spreading Truth
11) Making Movies

"Are you kidding ? The fall will kill you!"   

[Torgo]

Pay off my house, car and credit car debts. I would then invest the remaining amount and live off the interest....that is after I build an actual home theater in my house!

[Zapranoth]

I'd glow orange-red with the doppler effect from the speed with which I'd drop out of productive society.

I think winning the lottery would be bad for me.