With the Powerball NOW at $800 million...

Who's playing?

And what are the first 3 things you'd do if you won?

Would you tell anyone? Would you let them put you on tv?

$800 million

Message edited 1/8/2016 11:51:57 AM.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

Depending on the state you live in you can get the money anonymously.

in NY, I believe they can publish your name and address.

If you ever win the lottery:
1. Lawyer.
2. Financial planner
3. DO NOT TELL ANYONE.
4. Don't talk to the news. Don't go on TV. You open yourself up to scammers and MUCH worse.

My DH and I discussed that if we wont the lottery and HAD to go on TV we would wear masks.

There is SUCH a danger in winning the lottery. First and foremost are scammers and people trying to part you from your money. Many of those people are related to you or live next door to you.

If I won DH and I would be come scarce and go on vacation. Get our financial planner and attorney on board and ride out the shizz storm until we can come up for air.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

Buy myself, my parents, sister and FH, and brother and his son each a house.

Hire a personal trainer, chef, hair and make up person, etc. I have always wanted someone to do my hair and make up each day so I don't have to be bothered lol!

I want to open and operate a center for patients with traumatic brain injuries to be treated with state-of-the-art protocols that actually GET results. So, I would love to open a facility and have the docs that treat my brother run it and not have to worry about funding -- and splitting their time between saving lives and begging for funding.

ETA - the news would find out, no matter what, and they will - and I have had this happen for other reasons - chase you down like dogs lol. So, I would just accept it for a little while and wait for it to die down. And just keep myself kind of sheltered to just my immediate family and SO.

Message edited 1/6/2016 12:17:45 PM.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

I may go in with my closest coworker and buy a few tickets.

If I won, I'd lawyer up ASAP. I wouldn't want to be on television/published if I could help it.

Honestly - I'd probably leave the country. Buy a home in Ireland and just start fresh.

And I would buy a DeLorean.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

I did this morning when I got my coffee at 7-11. First thing I'd do is probably faint LOL. But def call a lawyer first and foremost. I think being in the news is inevitable when you win a jackpot that big.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

in NY I am pretty sure you cant remain anonymous but I don't think they can force you on TV.

if I can remain anonymous

I wouldn't tell anyone I won.
I would sign my ticket
Hide it
Go about my business like nothing has changed.

I would try to wait as long as possible to cash in the ticket once I was ready I would contact a lawyer and financial adviser give my notice to work and probably disappear with my family for a little bit.

not that I will ever win I swear its always someone old or rich that wins

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

i thought i had a winning 1k a week for life ticket and i just left it on my dresser for almost a year. i didnt win but i was afraid of winning. it wasnt even a lot of money. im a weirdo.


if won millions I would not want anyone to know. I dont even know what I would do. Money scares the sh!t out of me

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

After handling all of the legalities and financial concerns..........

1) Take a very long, very relaxing, very awesome vacation.

2) Set plans in motion for a brand new, custom built house with a giant gourmet kitchen to die for.

3) Buy all new cars.

Then take care of my parents, save, save, save, and invest.

ETA - I would tell my parents and I'd avoid TV if possible, I am not interested in having any kind of celebrity...........I like my privacy.

Message edited 1/6/2016 12:46:59 PM.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

I want to play but I'm traveling for work and I have no idea where to buy tickets. Going to try and find something later.

I would like to remain anonymous but I know how hard that is. Lawyer and financial planner for sure. l would quit my job, more babies, pay off debt and our house and the same for family. Give to charity. Travel more and buy real estate.

I was watching the Today show this morning and the odds of winning are astronomical. They said it's more likely to be hit by lightning or get bitten by a shark.

It's nice to dream.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

I would wear as much as I could to hide my face and wear a wig.
Lawyer up
Create a trust
Claim funds in the name of the trust
Create a forwarding address to be published
Invest in index funds
Go on a super long vacation
Hire someone to answer the mail

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

I play regularly, same numbers, so I already have my ticket. Thinking about maybe getting one or two more quick picks.

Lawyer, financial planner and accountant are my first calls. I think in NY if you win they are allowed to use your name and picture, but I would not be on tv giving interviews or anything like that. I would change all my phone numbers to unlisted numbers ASAP and only give the new ones to those we are closest too.

Once I have the check, I am quitting my job. I'm looking to leave anyway, so this gives me the ability to leave and not worry about having something else lined up. Then I am taking a world tour for a year. I would also provide for all of my nieces college educations, buy my parents a place in Puerto Vallarta and give my sisters and DH's siblings something.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

The people with plans never win. It is the ones that have no clue what they would do with it and then go and blow it on stupid crap lol.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

1. Get a lawyer and see if there is anything I could do about remaining anonymous.
2. If i could remain anonymous then I would move onto a financial planner and make sure that my kids were set for life - but at different stages - trusts for when they are older etc. I would make sure my parents, siblings etc and some family members were set for life.
3. Move to Ireland.

4. Tell DH that he was going to have an allowance otherwise he would blow the lot!!

5. My greatest wish has always been to adopt and to help kids so my money would be spent expanding our family and then helping out orphanages all over the world.

Happy days

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

I will be playing even though I know the odds are ridiculous. It's nice to dream...plus, you have to be in it to win it. Worth a shot.

Since in NY you cannot remain anonymous, we would do whatever we could to remain as much out of the limelight as possible. Change our numbers and not tell anyone other than immediate family.

First thing I'd do is pay off whatever outstanding debt DH and I have, along with our parents and siblings. We'd likely give our parents a large sum of money so they could quit their jobs and finally retire and live comfortably. And I'd like to buy our siblings each a house (especially my brother and SIL who are struggling to be able to afford one right now).

Take a nice, long, amazing vacation.

We'd decide if we wanted to expand our current house or buy a new one.

Purchase a vacation home somewhere.

Put most of the money into savings, investments, and college funds for our children.

ETA: I don't know if I would actually quit my job right away. Honestly, I probably wouldn't. I don't mind my job and I think I would be bored if I quit. I'd probably continue working until DH and I had more children, and then I would quit to stay home with them until they were of school age.

Message edited 1/6/2016 1:41:08 PM.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

Find a huge piece of land and build a huge home.

Build a barn and buy some horses.

Id stay here in NH. I adore it here!!

Rest of the money save

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

That much money scares me. After the initial shock, I'd hire a lawyer & a good financial planner with reputable firms. I'd also hire a bodyguard for my family for extra security for the first few months or so until things settle down.

The first thing I would do with the money (besides quit) my job is help out my family. I'd give them a nice sum of money and let them decide what to do with it.

Second, I'd plan a huge summer vacation to get away for a few months while school is out. When classes resume and the kids are back I'd start working on buying a new home or (homes). Work on long term investment planning goals, drop some money in some hedge funds & buy some investment property.

This is a ridiculous amount of money and it can change people. I would want to try to stay as normal as possible for my kids sake.

As far as charities go, I have a few in mind. Mostly local charities and I would do everything in my power to make sure the cash is going in the right hands. Some of these large organizations are making a killing off of donations and theres a huge profit being made.

I can only dream

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

Message edited 1/8/2016 7:09:44 PM.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

Posted by blu6385

in NY I am pretty sure you cant remain anonymous but I don't think they can force you on TV.

if I can remain anonymous

I wouldn't tell anyone I won.
I would sign my ticket
Hide it
Go about my business like nothing has changed.

I would try to wait as long as possible to cash in the ticket once I was ready I would contact a lawyer and financial adviser give my notice to work and probably disappear with my family for a little bit.

not that I will ever win I swear its always someone old or rich that wins

With the Powerball at 500 million...

I collected for 45 in our office so after lump sum and taxes close to 5 million share... I would love to secretly pay off some peoples layaway, restaurant tabs, donate to my sons religious school & future school, retire my husband and move to a house with really nice neighbors.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

We played

I would faint

Get up

Run naked

With the Powerball at 500 million...

No winner. Saturday's drawing will be at least $675 mill! I'm sure it will go up at least twice before then. Insane.

Re: With the Powerball at 500 million...

With the Powerball at 500 million...

I think about how I would probably keep my job but hire somebody to drive me LOL

With the Powerball at 500 million...

Tell my boss just how evil she is, and skip out the door.