Powerball jackpot jumps to 3rd largest ever!

[Deschodt]

It's pure FOMO for me... We play as a work pool, and there's no way I'm staying behind cursing my decision to not participate, after my friends or colleagues win without me ;-) Also I'd love to see the effect on the workplace of losing that underappreciated group

[MikeSid]

Originally Posted by The Synergizer

....I'd love to see the person the moment they checked their ticket and see they actually have all six numbers... The shock has to be off the charts, if it actually doesn't kill them..

It would take me several weeks and many stages to fully grasp the new reality.
You match the numbers and think you've won.
You have someone else double check.
The lottery office confirms your win.
You consult with experts how to receive the funds and where they would go initially.
The funds actually hit your account.
You worry about your kids.
You hire private security and realize that you can't even fully trust the security you've just hired.
You find it difficult to truly trust anyone.

I think about these steps whenever a large lottery hits the headlines and it's like the reverse fantasy. Thinking about the complexities of obtaining this much wealth relatively instantly and without the necessary infrastructure almost makes me not want to win.

I'd love to win something in the $5-7M range. Life changing, but manageable. Beyond that and its more of a curse than most people realize.

[Zeke]

@MikeSid, some correct. The only way to go about it is to contact a lotto attorney before doing anything else. And the first thing they will tell you is to protect your ticket.

YOU DO NOT do no. 3 and 4. Some states require you to present the ticket in person therefore identifying yourself. An attorney can do a work around. Otherwise the last 3 items will eat you.

I'd leave for parts unknown with no forwarding address other than said attorney.

[MikeSid]

I always thought I'd take a winning ticket, put it in a book, wrap it with a couple rubber bands and shove it in my sock drawer.

Then make myself a stiff drink and stare at the wall for a hour trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Zeke

@MikeSid, some correct. The only way to go about it is to contact a lotto attorney before doing anything else. And the first thing they will tell you is to protect your ticket.

YOU DO NOT do no. 3 and 4. Some states require you to present the ticket in person therefore identifying yourself. An attorney can do a work around. Otherwise the last 3 items will eat you.

I'd leave for parts unknown with no forwarding address other than said attorney.

That’s what I’ve always told my wife. If we ever win, we are leaving town with the kids and that’s that.

She of course thinks you could manage it and be charitable with a large extended family, and while I’m all for helping people, that would quickly turn into a dumpster fire. People would come out of the woodwork with their hands out, and it would never be enough. Either you would have to perpetually feed the beast until the money was gone, or you would have to family and friends constantly mad at you. I think something like 75% of lottery winners end up bankrupt and divorced, it’s obviously not the ticket to happiness that some envision.

I’m with Mike, a “mere” $5M or so would be great. Enough to really set you up for life, not enough to ruin your life, and much easier to keep quiet.

[rwest]

I’m pretty sure one of the first things to happen to me if I won is that I would become handsome!

[The Synergizer]

^ But is it your new personality instead that attracts all those beautiful women that formerly looked at you with disgust?

[rwest]

Originally Posted by The Synergizer

^ But is it your new personality instead that attracts all those beautiful women that formerly looked at you with disgust?

Huh, maybe a new spin on the chicken or the egg question. I suppose my new self confidence would be an attractive attribute and I bet all my jokes would be funny now too?

[Rick Lee]

Oh, family would never know about it. At. All. IF, and that's a big IF, I gave anything to anyone, it'd be anonymously through an atty. and with an ironclad NDA signed before a dime were disbursed. Just about everyone I know with any kind of money problems would just have bigger money problems with more money and blame someone else for not fixing those problems (again). Money doesn't build character, it reveals it.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by The Synergizer

Nobody cares about mathematics.
My math is much simpler. When the Powerball reaches or is close to $1 billion I spend $2. I want to be in the pool. I don't expect to win, but for sure I won't win if I don't buy one ticket.

I'd love to see the person the moment they checked their ticket and see they actually have all six numbers... The shock has to be off the charts, if it actually doesn't kill them..

Well they do say a lottery is a tax on the mathematically illiterate. Youre betting that a fair coin comes up heads 28 times in a row, which is getting 10 heads in a row twice and then eight more times.

My theory is that we need the math here because the numbers are so large and so small that our intuitions cant make sense of them.

Its a spectacle that i can enjoy from a safe distance.

[Steve Carlton]

I'm playing the odds that I might only win $20,000. So there.

[Baz]

[Essentzy]

I used to play Powerball now and then, but lately I’ve been checking out a non Gamstop casino instead for a bit of fun. Odds aren’t necessarily better, but at least I can play a bunch of different games without waiting days for a drawing. Plus, the payouts can be surprisingly good if you hit the right one.

[HobieMarty]

It would definitely help with the restoration of a TR6!!!

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by Essentzy

I’d take the lump sum, drop half into index funds, and live off the dividends. Still plenty left over for a few fun splurges and helping out family.

At the numbers being thrown around, you must have much more expensive tastes than I do.

$362M lump sum, assuming almost half gone in taxes leaves you about $180M cash. Invested in a tax free muni ETF, you're earning $3.6M year, or $10k per day and haven't touched the principal.

Like others have suggested, I'd rather win a million or two and semi-retire. That's life changing enough for me.

[vash]

Originally Posted by MikeSid

I always thought I'd take a winning ticket, put it in a book, wrap it with a couple rubber bands and shove it in my sock drawer.

Then make myself a stiff drink and stare at the wall for a hour trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

man..this speaks to me. I like this plan.

let cooler heads prevail type of move.

I would buy my inlaws a dope condo in Taipei.

[ramonesfreak]

I won $30 last week. Most I ever won. Got an email from lotto that I won and the check came Saturday...At first I thought I really WON!

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

When I'm the sole winner, I'm not gonna remember any of ya.

Not me. I will invite you all to a weekend on my new super yacht. Fishing, etc..

[Baz]

Powerball’s $1.6 billion jackpot is its fourth largest ever—here’s the after-tax payout in every U.S. state

Florida
Lump sum: $463,281,980
Annuity: $1,009,289,400

Picked up $20 worth today - that's 10 tickets!

[A930Rocket]

I haven’t played since last summer, so I bought $20 worth of powerball. And then to hedge my bet, I bought $10 of mega millions.

Somebody has to win!