Congratulations you won the lottery! Now what? (rar)

[Phantasee]

Submersible yacht.

Then I would finally learn, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

I'd buy a small stake in the oilsands, of course. The pipeline to the West Coast (to China). Ottawa. I'd secretly pump disgusting amounts of money into Quebec to make them more federalist, because fuck the PQ and the BQ. Probably buy the Albertan government at some point. Build a house on the river valley, just to watch it slide into the river in 10 years.

[Majin Gojira]

I'd probably go with the anuity as I'm still rather young and 20 million a year is quite a decent "Income". It'll keep me from going totally gonzo with it. Otherwise, I'd let hedonism-bot in the driver's seat.

Of course, I have dreams of Hollywood, so the money is not going to do much good there, though it'll certainly help with contest entry fees!

And after a while I actually could fund my own film or other media output with a small portion of the winnings as a springboard. It really frees me up in terms of "using time for creative output" but I'd still work just to keep my mind busy. Doing either volunteer work or just regular work--NEED. INPUT.

I'm not a paranoid person, but reading all the warnings of bad shit that can happen does make me consider some new security measures for the home--moving is not something I'd want to do. I like the neighborhood too much.

As a general strategy, I'd split it in thirds: Saving, Investment and "Spending". In truth, it'd be 6 million spending, 6 million Investments and 8 million Savings each year. After a while I suspect Savings and Investments would start earning a greater income...

Being rather frugal for the most part, that spending part wouldn't do much. Accountants/investment pros are then a must. Spending would also cover charitable donations and the like. There's museums, parks, ecological and humanitarian causes that I'd love to make at least a token donation to that this would allow me to.

I'd also use the money to travel to new places with my family. Visit Japan, go back to Australia (for longer than 2 weeks this time, what were we thinking!?), Hawaii, Europe, Vegas (cuz--hey, why not?), etc.

I'd want to keep it low key, so I'd probably travel abroad soon after setting things up--perhaps to the Caribbean at first and then work my way from there for about half a year perhaps to let things cool down.

Then it becomes a "Which to do first?" sort of situation. Probably the little things would be done first. As cliche as they are a New Car (something fuel efficient but simple) and big screen TV will be done pretty early on.

Then would come bigger things like funding a film or animated short.

[Lonestar]

Take the Annuity. Buy a place in the Western part of the state as a in-holder in GWNFS, or possibly in the vincinity of Front Royal. Pay off my mothers house, possibly get her a new car, make sure my grandparents(motehrs parents) are taken care of...everything else will be invested and tied up. Might attempt to thru-hike the AT.

Might just work in a comic book store, if nothing else because I have no other big plans.

[Simon_Jester]

And after other things, like investments maybe and charities and all that stuff, if there's enough left over and it won't hurt anything more important or useful, I'd demolish my hometown. This might not be possible and Braselton and its example of why it's bad to buy a small georgia town is uncomfortably near it, but I can dream.

No, Amy. Braselton is an example of why it's bad to buy a small Georgia town and expect anything good to come of it.

You just want to destroy the town, so it doesn't matter- you're already committed to writing off your investment, so it's just a question of looking at the bank balance, subtracting the price of the town, and seeing whether you still have a positive sum of money left.

[J]

I'd secretly pump disgusting amounts of money into Quebec to make them more federalist, because fuck the PQ and the BQ. Probably buy the Albertan government at some point.

You'll need more than a few hundred million, more like billions & billions so you'll have to follow my sister's plan and make your billions first. Jean Chretien funneled funneled a billion (I think it was a billion) into Quebec during his terms and he still wasn't able to squash the PQ and BQ for good and here you are looking at buying out two provinces.

[Zaune]

I have no idea if lottery wins are taxable income in Britain, but honestly for that kind of money I couldn't care less.
One million each would be gifted to the very small number of people I care about right off the bat. However much I need to spend would go towards buying a nice self-sufficient patch of land in the middle of nowhere and fortifying it. Half of whatever's left would go to various charities dear to my heart, and the rest would be placed into the care of a responsible investment broker with instructions to avoid anything even vaguely resembling tax evasion but otherwise make it grow.
Then and only then would I make a few non-essential purchases, namely a Land Rover Defender, a small cabin cruiser and a nice new leather jacket.

[CaptainChewbacca]

The Earth Science/Physics building at my University doesn't have a name. I think I'd take the $20 mil per year and give them 1 million to name it after me. They don't have to build anything new, just put a plaque of me in the atrium.

[Alferd Packer]

Well, I'd take the lump sum. The vast majority of the money would be safely squirreled away somewhere, but I would leave enough to get myself and my family out of any and all debts, as well as pay for top-notch hospice care for my grandmother, who's slowly dying of Alzheimer's at the moment.

I know I'd quit my job, but I'm forced to wonder how I'd spend my time. I'd probably open my own brewpub, or maybe just the brewery. Homebrewing is something I've always wanted to do, and since I've got the cash, I might as well formalize it. Take some classes, get some certifications, the whole deal.

And since I've got the money, I might as well have a vacation home in the Florida Keys. Ooh, maybe I'll open the brewery down there! After all that, I think I'd be pretty well satisfied.

[Siege]

Take the annuity, get in touch with lawyers and a few accountants, and disappear for a few months. There's plenty interesting places in the world I want to see whilst the heat dies down. Come back, buy a nice house and have it pleasantly decorated, buy a car -- nothing too fancy, a Maserati will do -- and then start wondering what on Earth I'm going to do with a guaranteed income of $20 million a year. I'm not big on starting a business (sounds too much like work) so that's right out... Sure, help out a few friends maybe, but that's not even going to dent this absurd pile of money.

I might start a foundation, something to fund cultural projects I like. Maybe provide a few scholarships, get involved in ecological preservation, sustainable development, that sort of thing. There's a few million a year to blow through even if my accountants fail to get a return on investments, which should be enough to make an impact on a local or regional level at least. I bet I could get used to life as a playboy philanthropist.

If after that the cash still starts piling up I might waste a few million on a penthouse in Manhattan or a seaside view apartment in Cannes (or both!) but really, that's pretty outrageous. I suppose one could eventually pick up a taste for tailored Italian suits or 30 grand cufflinks but I doubt that'll ever really be my kind of thing. Live leisurely, sure, but I don't see myself spending a thousand dollars on a bottle of wine, tons of money or not.

[Phantasee]

Take the annuity, get in touch with lawyers and a few accountants, and disappear for a few months. There's plenty interesting places in the world I want to see whilst the heat dies down. Come back, buy a nice house and have it pleasantly decorated, buy a car -- nothing too fancy, a Maserati will do -- and then start wondering what on Earth I'm going to do with a guaranteed income of $20 million a year. I'm not big on starting a business (sounds too much like work) so that's right out... Sure, help out a few friends maybe, but that's not even going to dent this absurd pile of money.

I might start a foundation, something to fund cultural projects I like. Maybe provide a few scholarships, get involved in ecological preservation, sustainable development, that sort of thing. There's a few million a year to blow through even if my accountants fail to get a return on investments, which should be enough to make an impact on a local or regional level at least. I bet I could get used to life as a playboy philanthropist.

If after that the cash still starts piling up I might waste a few million on a penthouse in Manhattan or a seaside view apartment in Cannes (or both!) but really, that's pretty outrageous. I suppose one could eventually pick up a taste for tailored Italian suits or 30 grand cufflinks but I doubt that'll ever really be my kind of thing. Live leisurely, sure, but I don't see myself spending a thousand dollars on a bottle of wine, tons of money or not.

I like how the guy who says "nothing too fancy, a Maserati will do" goes on to say "I doubt that'll ever really be my kind of thing." A Maserati Quattroporte is basically a four-door Ferrari, it's got a detuned Enzo engine and transmission. How much fancier do you think you can get?

[General Zod]

If after that the cash still starts piling up I might waste a few million on a penthouse in Manhattan or a seaside view apartment in Cannes (or both!) but really, that's pretty outrageous. I suppose one could eventually pick up a taste for tailored Italian suits or 30 grand cufflinks but I doubt that'll ever really be my kind of thing. Live leisurely, sure, but I don't see myself spending a thousand dollars on a bottle of wine, tons of money or not.

I actually like tailored Italian suits but they're just too expensive on my current salary.

[Siege]

I like how the guy who says "nothing too fancy, a Maserati will do" goes on to say "I doubt that'll ever really be my kind of thing."

That was, of course, written with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Hell yeah it's an expensive car. Can't be a playboy philanthropist without an expensive car! Though on the other hand, it's no 458 Italia, Gallardo, SLS AMG, DB9 or God forbid, Veyron. Which may be damning with faint praise, but hey, it shows I have limits at least .

[dragon]

I would go the annuity amount and invest most of it.

[MKSheppard]

Considering it cost only $25-30 million to fund SpaceShip One; I take the annuity payments and make myself into the next Howard Hughes, except you know...not crazy.

Tl;dr:

"When I grow up, I'm gonna make the biggest movies, fly the fastest planes ever built, and be the richest man in the world."

[The Duchess of Zeon]

You clearly have no understanding of the phrase "diversified steady income stream". With $200m, you should be investing across about 150 different stocks. That's what investment banks exist for. Chucking it all in a couple of stocks is absurdly risky.

"Risky" ? No, I have no interest in playing stock games. You misunderstood. Any company that I bought into I wanted a controlling interest in so that I could take it private, and really own it and direct its regular operations without worrying about dividend games... I am not interested in a revenue stream, but rather being a transit nerd. If I net about $200k a year on what I own, that would make me perfectly happy. Entertaining people by taking them on rides in fully restored private varnish on my own railroad? Priceless.

The diversified part was that most shortlines in the US serve businesses like a coal mine, timber plants, etc, so buying several around the country serving a variety of businesses cushions your revenue and long-term survivability by guaranteeing that a downturn which eliminates the profitability of a line would only cause problems for a single line... I have no interest in ever investing on the stock market in a conventional sense no matter how much money I have.

[Zor]

I would choose the annual stuff, give some money to the University of Winnipeg, some money some charities, some to my parants and sister. Also a check for a million dollars to NASA saying that i would really appreciate it if they got to the moon again within the next decade. Then i would buy a summer home somewere in Australia and have a nice art deco home built in Vancouver. Hire some staff for both of them, an accountant and spend alot of time relaxing.

Also, buy some tailored suits and a couple of speedboats.

Zor

[Phantasee]

What good will a cheque for a million dollars do at NASA? They probably spend that much on toilet paper every year. On top of that, they'd probably send it back since you're a foreign national trying to buy influence with an agency of the US government.

[WesFox13]

hmmm, Like many of the people I'd first get a lawyer to get any pestering media and paparazzi out of my hair.
I'd probably get the Lump Sum and give a bit to my mom, dad, little brother and older sister. Probably about 5 mil each. Then after that I'll probably move out of America to someplace nice, like maybe Canada or the UK.

I'd buy a nice modest house for myself, maybe a hybrid or electric Rolls-Royce if possible. And maybe buy some cool Steampunk fashion and gadgetry for decoration in my house. Oh and invest in renewable and nuclear energy as well as hire a investment banker to help me diversify my investments.

[Darth Tanner]

I have no idea if lottery wins are taxable income in Britain, but honestly for that kind of money I couldn't care less.

It's not, its all tax free.

As for me I'd go the traditional route of simply buying a huge house and simply living the good life traveling the world in 5* jets and hotels. Id also give my close friends and family a few hundred thousand each over a period but most of the money I'd leave in bonds/shares/funds to provide for the future of the Tanner line. A few million to local charity a year wouldnt be stretching my resources either.

Oh and one of those fancy 3 monitor 3D gaming machines would do. Or maybe a dozen or so for lan parties. And I'd learn to fly, prob just microlights or something small in between holidays.

[Akhlut]

I'd take the 20 year option, firstly.

Anyway, a plan.

1. Pay off all my debts (see you in hell, student loans!)
2. Pay off all my family's debts (see you in hell, mom's medical debts!)
3. Give my mom a nice stipend to live off of for the rest of her life, so she doesn't have to work at a factory anymore and can, hopefully stop smoking. I'd also pay for all her medical care and shit like that.
4. INVEST INVEST INVEST
5. Buy up large parcels of undeveloped land over the globe and use them as private wildlife reserves.
6. Clone extinct animals like crazy. Atlas bears, Caspian tigers, Passenger pigeons, Carolina parakeets, ivory-billed woodpeckers, thylacines: they're all coming back.
7. I shall build a house that makes use of a full-sized replica of the Ishtar Gates.
8. If I can't turn my wife and me into undying cyborgs, we shall be buried under a brass statue that breathes fire and yells "REMEMBER ME!" for all eternity.

[Alyrium Denryle]

First thing is first, I take the annuity payments. There is no fucking reason I need that much money all at once. If I run into a cash flow issue, I can always borrow against an installment. Not that this is likely to happen...

1) Pay off the debts... all of them... for my friends and entire extended family that I have any contact with. Mom, the grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. Let us not forget my own student loans. This should take... 1-5 million USD in a lump sum... this first bit may slightly decrease later bits, but other than that...

2) Take five million from each payment, and set aside permanent trust funds that can be tapped into in order to pay the education and medical expenses of myself, and my friends and entire extended family. These would of course be fed not only by each subsequent payment, but also through smart, relatively low risk and highly diversified investment.

3) Take twelve million from each payment, and set up a permanent foundation which buys up and restores degraded wetlands.

4) Take ten million from each payment, and set up a permanent foundation which funds meritorious scientific research and funds worthy graduate students in herpetology, and ecology.

5) Build a really nice arboretum/ renewably poweredhouse for myself, and set aside enough money that I only need work because I enjoy it. I figure the house and associated land will cost 1-2 million in a lump sum, 1with maybe 120 K a year in spending money.

Take what is left, and set up an endowed charitable foundation to help displaced GLBT youth.

[Eternal_Freedom]

One other thing I would do that has occurred to me is to use my wealth to fund a continuation of the Hornblower TV series. I've been watching it all the way through againa and I really wish they'd do more of them.

[Kyler]

What would I do with $200 million dollars?

Well for sure I would invest a shit ton of it, so me & my family would never have to work again. I think I would probably invest $150 mil in a variety of investments varying in different types of returns & risks.

With $50 million not earning interest

I would quit work, probably travel for a year or two. Buy or building some houses in some of my favorites places I have visited like Lucern Switzerland & Santorini, Greece.

Build a nice home with a lot of land in my hometown. Nothing crazy big something like 5,000 square feet max with a nice garage & workshop to do hobbies.

I would donate some money to the University I graduated from, probably have them name a Fine Arts building after my father & an education building after my mother. Probably start a scholarship program at the school in my name. Donate some more money to my old high school.

I would got back and get all the flight ratings I don't have, from instrument to multi-engine commerical. Buy a couple airplanes.

Go back to school get my Master's & Doctorate in History, probably take up a part time teaching position.

If I could get investors on board, I would open flying business like MiG's over Moscow for the US. Allowing people in the US to go up in a variety of surplus military jets.

Do as much volunteering as I can since I couldn't stand just sitting around and making money all the time.

[salm]

I´d like to know why so many people would invest the money to make even more out of it. You´ve allready got more than you and your extended family plus two dozens of friends could ever give out. Do you guys never get enough?
Is there an amount of money where you´d stop? If so, what is it? A billion? 10 Billion? A Trillion?

[General Zod]

I´d like to know why so many people would invest the money to make even more out of it. You´ve allready got more than you and your extended family plus two dozens of friends could ever give out. Do you guys never get enough?
Is there an amount of money where you´d stop? If so, what is it? A billion? 10 Billion? A Trillion?

I just want to be able to say that I have more money than god with a straight face. I'd probably wind up giving more than half of it away or something.