# 20 random people including you. Person who asks for least gets it. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2014, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937 "2014-09-09T08:09:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/1 "2014-09-09T08:09:33Z")
So the eccentric billionaire from IMHO strikes again. This time, she approaches 20 random people in your office, including you. She lays it out, you can ask for any amount of money between $.01 and $10,000,000,000, and the other 19 have the same choice. She will only give money to one person though, the one who asked for the least. How much do you ask for? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/2 "2014-09-09T09:08:19Z")
1c. If I can’t have any money then no other bastard will get it either! Seriously, $10,000,000,000, as I don’t really need money and that’ll keep the bidding higher for the others. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/3 "2014-09-09T09:28:31Z")
$800,000. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/4 "2014-09-09T09:51:59Z")
I abstain. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/5 "2014-09-09T10:26:37Z")
$20,000,000 That’s a fuckload of money to me, but a small enough percentage of the possible maximum that I’d be in with a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/6 "2014-09-09T10:35:35Z")
That’s so funny, I’ve thought of this exact hypothetical (Except with strangers, not coworkers.) on several occasions. My answer would be 4mil. With that much money, I could live off the interest and maintain my current lifestyle while never having to touch the principle. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/7 "2014-09-09T10:44:50Z")
If they are fellow employees, then I would probably have some sense of their wealth already, which might affect my answer. But assuming I had no idea, I would go with $99,000. It’s not much, but I figure at least one other person would try to lowball the amount to 6 figures to win. I would attempt to lowball that person. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/8 "2014-09-09T10:47:06Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > …My answer would be 4mil. With that much money, I could live off the interest and maintain my current lifestyle while never having to touch the principle. Have you seen interest rates for the past 5 years or so? You probably couldn’t live off just the interest. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/9 "2014-09-09T10:52:24Z")
I’ve got a few 20 somethings that still live at home with their parents. I can see any one of them thinking 5 thousand is plenty money. I’d have to do 3 thousand. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/10 "2014-09-09T11:04:05Z")
I’d probably ask for a couple of million. I’d rather dream about (and not get) a potentially life-changing amount, than get a trivial amount of money because I succeeded in asking for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/11 "2014-09-09T11:05:32Z")
$10,000,000,000, after writing an email to my work to set up a cartel for all of us to request the max, then agree to split the proceeds evenly. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/12 "2014-09-09T11:54:46Z")
500k, Combined with what I’ve got that’s easily enough to retire on. Me and my family have modest demands so I can’t think that a shedload of extra cash buys me anything I want that I don’t already have. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/13 "2014-09-09T12:05:47Z")
I’d probably end up asking for about $2,000. And I probably wouldn’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/14 "2014-09-09T12:09:30Z")
> [@robertliguori](#): > > $10,000,000,000, after writing an email to my work to set up a cartel for all of us to request the max, then agree to split the proceeds evenly. What if someone asks for $9,999,999,999? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/15 "2014-09-09T12:54:52Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > What if someone asks for $9,999,999,999? “A local business worker today was murdered in his home shortly after winning almost 10 million dollars…” ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/16 "2014-09-09T13:37:10Z")
This brings to mind a cigarette company (I think Benson and Hedges) that ran a sweepstakes back in the 70’s, offering 100 different prizes, ranging from a Rolls Royce to a can of tuna or something. When you enter, you choose the prize you are going for and one of each prize was awarded. The fewer people who selected that prize, the better the chance of winning. I would love to know how many entrants went for each prize. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/17 "2014-09-09T13:46:07Z")
If I’m first I’d ask for the 10 billion. That will keep the bidding high. Who ever wins can toss a million my way if the the others don’t screw it up. That’s the strategy, the lowest bid should be $9,999,999,981. ETA: Actually their should be 19 requests for $10 billion, and 1 request for $9,999,999,999. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/18 "2014-09-09T13:55:14Z")
$899,999. In a group of 20 people, there will be at least one or two who don’t understand the difference between 10 million and 10 billion. There will also be some who think that a million dollars still represents an enormous amount of money. So, I would go under $1 million. Thinking that others will think the same way, I’d go under $900,000. And I’d probably lose to someone who said under $100,000. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/19 "2014-09-09T14:59:49Z")
> [@robertliguori](#): > > $10,000,000,000, after writing an email to my work to set up a cartel for all of us to request the max, then agree to split the proceeds evenly. Conspiracy is the only answer. But I’d go with $9,999,999,999, to look like I was trying. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937/20 "2014-09-09T15:01:59Z")
What if two people ask for the same lowest amount? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-random-people-including-you-person-who-asks-for-least-gets-it/697937.md?page=2)