Won the Lottery?

[Dave Darling]

Hi everyone,

A question- what would you do if you won the 40 billion dollar jackpot with the lottery? I think if this happened to me I would start traveling the country making donations to any place that strikes my fancy, every church that I was impressed with would get 1 million dollars from me. I might keep enough money for myself that I am set for life but I would not need the rest, I would just give it all away. I would take it upon myself to flood the church in the United States with money! I would also give a nice fat check to Christian institutions of higher learning, Liberty University would get 100 million from me, also Regent, Messiah University, Clarks Summit University, and Pensacola Christian College would get 100 million. I would also give several million to several bible colleges, Blue Ridge School of the Prophets, Summit Bible College, International Bible College, and Christ for the Nations would get several mil. I live in central Pennsylvania and there are about 5 top-flight hospitals in the area, each one of them would get 100 million.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Find ways to invest that money so as to generate an income stream which allows me to support people and institutions which I like and consider friends.

 

[dzheremi]

$40 billion? With a B? The largest sum ever won in United States history was $2.04 billion, so I'd probably spend a hefty amount beefing up my personal security, because there's no doubt I'd be a target from the second the numbers were drawn, since it is the law in my state that winners must be publicly identified. Then I'd move somewhere else, obviously. After that, I don't know...I'd become the Coptic Orthodox Church fairy, planting churches and monasteries anywhere the bishops and the people saw a need. Having been received into a parish that had worshipped in a private home for over 15 years in order to save enough money to buy what is essentially one room in a multi-use building in an office park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I am well aware of the challenges facing us as we grow, and that there are many places that need much more support than we can currently afford to give. It would be a good thing to help fix that, as much as is possible.

 

[prodromos]

Find ways to invest that money so as to generate an income stream which allows me to support people and institutions which I like and consider friends.

This!
I might spend a bit to make my home more efficient and maybe get a newer, more practical car, but I wouldn't quit my job or change my lifestyle. I've heard of so many people who completely changed how they lived after winning big, not understanding that they now had no regular income (they quit their jobs) and the high rate at which they were now spending money was not sustainable. After a few years they were usually broke and divorced, and most expressed regret that they had won the money in the first place.