"Oh, Baby What I Wouldn't Do. . ."

[AuntShecky]

". . .with plenty o' money and you-ooh-ooh." So go the lyrics of an old song from the early days of the last century. (Not that yours fooly was around back then; I only know it from watching old movies.) But the tune has lately come to mind with news in the U.S. of an astronomically-large Powerball lottery prize, as of this writing $1.5 billion with a "b," reportedly the largest jackpot in history.

The buzz around this phenomenon has also broken records in lottery ticket sales. The odds of winning are similiar to yours fooly having a story published in The New Yorker: 292 million to one. Despite the forbidding chances of hitting, every single soul who bought a ticket hundreds of 'em believes he or she is going to win.

Sometimes when you think you're holding the magic ticket in your hand, it suddenly vanishes in a puff of fairy dust, as was the sorry fate of the poor British couple brought down by a computer malfunction. As we say around our neck o the woods, "You don't really have the money until the check is in your hand"-- or to be on the safe side, when the check has cleared the bank and you've got the cash in your hand.

Regardless of all the things that can go wrong, somebody might wake up tomorrow morning on East Street.

So, tell me, NitLetters, do you feel lucky?

What would you do if you had 1.5 billion* smackeroos?



*After taxes, of course

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...egistered.html

[Lokasenna]

We've just had the largest ever lottery jackpot in the UK - an intimidating £50 million, though that's not quite on a par with the American billion-and-a-bit. I must admit, I bought a ticket - and didn't win anything. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

If won oodles of money, I doubt I'd go mad with it. The billionaire lifestyle has never appealed in the slightest. No private jets, flash cars, and enormous mansions for me.

I'd keep it very, very quiet - and invest the money in order to keep the pot topping up, then I'd probably start some sort of anonymous philanthropic institution to try and spread a bit of happiness about.

...that said, a nice house with a really good library does sound nice. Possibly somewhere on the coast, with a nice view. Yeah, I'd like that.

[tailor STATELY]

Not that I'm considering buying a ticket (I'm not), but I'd (not in any particular order): 1) Bulldoze my dilapidated home and rebuild within the 1200 sq ft limit my county has mandated for my circumstances, and landscape the acreage with many fruit trees 2) Travel extensively abroad 3) Build a bowling center nearby 4) Donate a new community library (ours is woefully inadequate) 5) Help the homeless and needy 6) Take care of my (and my family's) health needs & insurance 7) Buy an economical/new/reliable car 8) Bring cheap/uncapped/reliable broadband service to my area 9) Bank the rest (after paying off all debt) and live off the interest as frugally as possible 10) Provide for the education needs of my family...

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Helga]

humm, that is a lot of money... I would pay up all my student loans and my house, and fix what needs to be fixed. I would get a car and more dogs... and lots and lots of books. I'd probably have to buy a new place for all the books, I am in trouble now with all my books so a new house for them would be good, and I would live there too, and save the rest. I don't think I'd go crazy and spend a bunch on something stupid, a little bit stupid but a lot wise. I would give my mom some so she could cut back on work.

Books would be my splurge, and dogs...

[YesNo]

I can't imagine a billion dollars. A million seems more reasonable. After taxes that million would be about half a million (since you would be in the highest tax bracket for that year). Invest that at 5% and that would be $25,000 dollars annual income. Oh, but then the market looks like it is in the toilet again so it might turn into something less. If you had a billion rather than a million that $25,000 would be $25,000,000. I suppose I could get by on that.

At the moment I would be afraid to have that much money (the billion sum), but I am sure that fear could be addressed with appropriate therapy or medication for a price. So to avoid the potential cost of treatment, I won't be buying a ticket.

[prendrelemick]

Money can't make you happy. But seeing someone else win $1.5 billion can make you bitter and jealous.

[Emil Miller]

I suppose it might make some people feel that way, personally I am always pleased when someone comes into a good deal of money: it's in short supply and most people need a bit of luck.
The sum of $1.5 billion would enable the winner to make some change to society in accordance with his/her principals. Therefore I would become a major donor to a couple of political parties I'm interested in before departing to spend the rest of my time under permanently blue skies.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Finally get that little plot of land near Chama New Mexico, around 8'000 ft ASL, small cabin, buy the Cumbres and Toltec railroad, have all the time in the world to weave chili ristras, paint, sketch, read, sit by the fire, howl with the coyotes at night.

[MANICHAEAN]

Sheltered housing in Rio with a private nurse that earlier in her career had been a carnival queen.

Seriously though, I think that I would gain tremendous satisfaction by going undercover and giving to those that I saw directly in need. Saves all those charity overheads and admin charges.

Government kept out of the picture as it would all be in cash.

Anything substantial left would go towards a burial at sea in a solid gold coffin, to break the theory that you can't take it with you..

[free]

I would make people I love and myself (of course) happy with the happiness that money can buy. Although they say that money cannot make you happy, I know many things that can. There is a funny saying: Health is something that is out of any discussion, meaning it is the main condition for happiness, all the rest is money.

[Tyrion Cheddar]

A few of you had funny and thought-provoking answers, like Manichaean with his gold coffin, and Free with his pithy quip. Gilliatt Gurgle's rustic and bare bones approach had a refreshing truth and grit to it, as well. My favorite, though, was Prendrelemick, just 'cause it made my inner bastard chortle. ;-) Now, having said that, while I share the distaste for things garish and flashy that everyone here has expressed, I confess to finding many of y'all's what-if dreams to be, how shall I say it, a bit paltry? C'mon, people! Live a little! A billion dollars? What are you being so frugal and minimalist for? We're not doing penance here or earning good karma, at least I'm not. And to be so pennywise when you've got that much money--are you saving pennies for your next life? Forgive me, really, I'm just expressing my own feelings on the subject. I, too, would refrain from anything gaudy, but after taking care of my family and all that, boy would I build me a nice home, have a few posh cars, and did I mention girls, girls, GIRLS? It's OK to break some eggs, go too far sometimes, make an arse of yourself, it's all in good fun and as I say, we're none of us getting any younger. It's this one life and then we're fertilizer.

[qimissung]

Well, Aunt Shecky, I was one of the ones who bought one of those lottery tickets. The convenience stores were bustling! I didn't really think I'd win-on the other hand, you can't win if you haven't got a ticket! And three people did win. Waiting for it was a little fun-watching it roll over again and yet again. I have since decided to limit my lottery ticket buying to the state lotteries. I only get one or two tickets once or twice a month.

If I win? Like everyone else, I like to think it wouldn't change my life for the worse. I'd adore to give some away to worthy causes. I would have the best time figuring out what they were or starting nonprofits. I might give some to the school I work for now, a tiny little charter that works with at-risk kids. I would give a lot of money to no-kill animal shelters and animal rescue organizations. I would do a lot of conservation work, and give some to domestic violence organizations and to vetran organizations. I'd set up trust funds for my kids, and I'd travel, travel, travel. I would buy a new house. I want one that's not to big-but big enough-and old-interesting old on the inside and outside. I would do this in every country I was interested in so I could go and stay there for a period of time and people watch. I would take a friend with me. Oh! I would give my friend and my sister lots of money. Every day would be like Christmas! I would take lots of language lessons and watercolor classes. I would buy lots of clothes and I would no longer feel guilty for buying books. I would go see lots of movies.

It's true that money can't buy you happiness, but it's also true (I read an article) that buying things does bring a form of happiness. I'm not unhappy now-except for bills and the monthly financial emergency that never fails to rear it's ugly head (just had the starter replaced on my car). But bringing financial relief to others would make me very happy.

[qimissung]

I would pay off Helga's student loans and buy her a lifetime's supply of dog food. See? Fun!

[Tyrion Cheddar]

Take lots of language lessons and watercolor classes--see, that's another interesting one, gimissung, and in keeping with the ongoing theme of people here to emphasize expansion of the mind and spirit. Excellent. I think, too, I'd see if I could hire Oxford dons to teach me some literature and poetry at the highest level. I'd learn calligraphy. Oh, and my guitar playing--man, I'd hire some of my favorite players to give me lessons. An ancestral home, too, like in the old days of the British aristocracy--except I'd actually pay my staff decent wages and get them health care, no class system here. :-0 Inside it I'd have vast library spaces with huge fireplaces and two-story, floor to ceiling windows. I'd have a wing with an aviary and a solarium where artist friends could paint.

[AuntShecky]

Two weeks ago I would've have given a different answer, but at the moment I'm tending to agree with those who place a higher value on good health rather than wealth. Even so, if one had unlimited income, he or she could purchase the world's best medical care, am I right?