Win the Lottery??

Well we are in the middle of Mega Millions madness.  They are predictiong that the jackpot is going to be $500,000 this Friday.  That's half a billion.  Billion with a B.  Yikes.  Somebody has actually done the math.  If you go with the lump sum, the Feds are getting $89,750,000 right off the top.  Here in Wisconsin, there is 7.5% taken off that.  You end up with $241,427,500.  Nice chunk of change.  If you go the annuity route you end up with $336, 249,992.  That's $12,932,692 per year for 26 years.  Don't know what JG Wentworth would do for you, you'd have to ask.

So what would you do, figuring you're the only winner of this jackpot?  I've thought about it.  I figure Cathie and I stop working.  Need to figure some cash to replace the earnings for another 10 years or so.  Then I figure there are some things I'd like to do and a few things I'd like to have.  Not a lot, but some things.  Pay off the house.  Make sure the kids are set up, and their kids (if they have any).  Would like to take care of some friends and family.  Can only imagine the people I haven't heard from in years who would be getting in touch.  Suppose you need to figure for inflation, and security.  I am feeling real loose with the money here, so I'll settle on $25 million to cover everything.  What are you going to do with the other $215,000,000 or so?

I'll tell you what.  I don't want it.  Think of the headaches.  Say so long to your neighbors.  Your neighborhood probably isn't safe enough for you to live in.  Wanna' go to the mall?  Good luck---maybe they can close it down for you.  Phone will be ringing off the hook.  Yeah, they can get that number too.  Out to dinner?  I don't think so.  You'd be watching behind your back all the time.  Worry about your kids now?  Remember J. Paul Getty III?  Look it up. 

If I were to win a giant lottery like this I'd be trying to get rid of most of it as fast as I can.  I imagine it is not cheap to give this kind of money away.  Lawyers, accountants.  I wouldn't just dump the money, I would want it to do good.  How?  Well, education is dear to us, so I suppose the local district would get a chunk.  I heard on the news this morning 8 of 10 school district are underfunded.  I'm sure this could help some.  Also would like to do something about the hungry kids.  Would try to figure some way where the money could do good over a long period of time, not just a one shot deal.  There a a lot of people out there with some good ideas, I'm sure that with some funding ideas could be put into action.  

I would hope that whoever wins this large stack of money does something to help others, not just drink and gamble and consume it away.  I hope.  Oh, and I'm in.