# Brewsters Millions. How would YOU have spent it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902 "2003-05-17T15:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/41 "2013-03-07T15:36:54Z")
Quite the zombie thread. Maybe pay for resurrection services on your late dog fluffy? Anyway, I think the way to go about this would to start buying up expensive wines (the stuff that goes for $20,000 a bottle), to use in a wine swimming pool. I’m sure a lot of vintners would be apoplectic when they found out what I was doing, but the wine would be useless after I skinny dipped in it. The average olympic swimming pool is 2.5M liters, and most wine bottles are 750 milliliters, so as long as I fill the pool and the wine costs $5 a bottle… well, hell, I don’t even need to buy the expensive stuff. The cost for shipping and assistants to pour the wine into the pool will ensure all $50M gets spent. EDIT: or, you know, a kiddie pool with printer ink :-p ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/42 "2013-03-07T15:45:00Z")
I think the “buy everybody a beer” ideas would come under the heading of “charity.” That would disqualify the ideas that popped into my head first as well. The Superbowl ad idea is the one I’d favor now. Or spend $50 million on a series of nation-wide ads on whatever subject you want to expound on. You aren’t selling anything, so there would be no assets resulting from the ads. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/43 "2013-03-07T15:53:41Z")
Buy a $50 million yacht, neglect to get insurance, and go sailing around Somalia. ---
**Author:** ![bramma23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@bramma23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bramma23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/44 "2013-03-07T15:55:47Z")
I’d pay to hitch a ride to the moon. ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/45 "2013-03-07T16:29:00Z")
The problem with buying a jet and flying it into the ground, or letting Somali pirates capture your yacht is that you still have assets, even if you don’t physically possess them. In the first instance, you own a pile of scrap metal (and a ton of fines from the EPA for spilling jet fuel and whatnot all over the place.) In the yacht example, I think the judges would rule that the yacht is still yours even if someone else posesses it. Otherwise, you can just buy $50 million of stuff and leave it on the street for passers-by to “steal” from you. I think the ad campaign is the way to go. Pick a cause, pay Speilberg $10 million to make a really good commercial, and then buy $20 million of airtime over the month. The final $20 million is to have fun with while the ads are running. Finish off by writing a check to a SuperPAC that was formed on the first day. If, by chance, they rule me ineligible for the $300 million, I just cash out of the SuperPAC like Colbert did and live comfortably. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/46 "2013-03-07T19:02:06Z")
Produce history’s worst Broadway featuring Hitler and lose all the money. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/47 "2013-03-07T19:05:16Z")
> [@bramma23](#): > > I’d pay to hitch a ride to the moon. You could’t do that or pretty much any other of the space things within 30 days. How about – commit a horrible crime, confess to it, and then pay (in advance) for a couple thousand of America’s finest lawyers to defend you? ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/48 "2013-03-07T19:26:14Z")
You could buy up a shit ton of student debt. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/49 "2013-03-07T19:33:31Z")
Hire the world’s premiere physicists and labs and give them a goal of producing nuclear fusion from Gummie Bears within 30 days. If they actually do it, even the $300 million you miss out on will be chump change. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/50 "2013-03-07T19:36:38Z")
To jump on the zombie… If it was at the right time - buy all of the advertising slots for the Superbowl so that everyone can watch the entire game without commercial interruption (does that fit the rules?) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/51 "2013-03-07T19:46:21Z")
Pay for the research to make me a pet thylacine. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/52 "2013-03-07T20:15:31Z")
> [@Osip](#): > > How about a HUGE dopefest with an open bar, 1st class tickets for all the doper friends, rented limos to works! > Better yet a three week dopefest changing locations every week, from Amsterdam, smoking drinking and whoring.. Disney land for a week and who knows where the third. > I suspect that would eat up a great deal of money. Japan for [Sushi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyabashi_Jiro). Jiro starts at 30 000 Y, has only 10 seats [though there are 2 locations IIRC] so we would have to cycle through, then there is this other place that does only chicken that was on No Reservations, and then we could rent a countryside Inn [ryokan?] for the rest of the week. Or How about Berlin, rent the Parkbuehne Wuhlheide and hire Rammstein, Laibach and Oakenfold with some good catering and have a hell of a picnic. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/53 "2013-03-07T20:19:05Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > To jump on the zombie… > > If it was at the right time - buy all of the advertising slots for the Superbowl so that everyone can watch the entire game without commercial interruption (does that fit the rules?) I think you just need to reword it - you’re buying all the advertising slots so YOU can watch the game without interruption. It’s just a bonus for the rest of the world. I read a little while ago that Chick-fil-a rented the Allure of the Seas for a 4 day conference and the speculated rate was 6-10 million dollars. I figure 2 weeks of cruising on a boat made for 5000 with a couple hundred of my closest friends would be an awesome vacation and have me 40% of the way there. A couple of fabulous port experiences could knock off another 20% and you’ve got 2 weeks to bring it home. It’s not really an extravagant gift for any of them, a cruise is generally only a couple grand. The empty rooms are for my enjoyment not theirs. While you’re away your team of employees (1-2%) are working on setting up your next experience to your specifications, I think a fabulous private concert would be just the ticket. Set up your viewing area, either allow the doors open or not for walkins to fill the empty seats and pick your line up of stars. Better if they have to rearrange their schedule to be there because then you can justify paying big bonuses for it. Also make sure you write the contracts carefully so you can’t get out of paying them. The only problem I’m going to have is waiting 30 days before buying pretty pretty shoes (at least more than one pair) ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/54 "2013-03-07T22:28:52Z")
I think a lot of the problems with renting a cruise ship, or Disneyworld, etc is the timeframe–you have the spend the money within 30 days. I would also presume that means that the results of your spending would happen within that timeframe. So you couldn’t spend 50 million for a private cruise that happens next year, or whatever–you’d have to take the cruise within the 30 days as well, and I suspect most vacation type places aren’t going to just cancel everyone’s reservations, the PR hit alone would approach or surpass 50 million. I think that would also take out Superbowl commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/55 "2013-03-07T22:45:31Z")
I thought a rule was to be value for your money? and wasn’t there a single item limit? ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/56 "2013-03-07T23:39:10Z")
Can I call several breweries, have them put “FREE BEER” signs out front, and then pick up the tab? ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/57 "2013-03-08T02:38:59Z")
The movie’s rules according to IMDB: > [@](#): > > 1.) With the exception of those who saw the will reading, whom are the firm’s senior partners George Granville (David White) and Norris Baxter (Jerome Dempsey) and the estate lawyer Edward Roundfield (Pat Hingle), Brewster cannot reveal to anyone the will’s terms. He may only tell everyone else he inherited $30 million. > > 2.) Brewster must spend the money on tangible items. If anything he buys accrues value, such as an investment that earns money, that is considered part of the money he inherited and he must spend that as well. > > 3.) Directly giving away money is capped at 10%, split between 5% in gambling losses and another 5% maximum to be donated to charity. > > 4.) Brewster may not willfully damage anything he buys with the money. > > 5.) After 30 days, he may not own any assets that are not already his (in other words, nothing but “the clothes on his back”). So no apparent limit per item/transaction. But no flying a fighter jet into a mountain. Interesting to note that the original story from 1902 gave Brewster a year to spend one million dollars, and he had trouble doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/58 "2013-03-08T03:02:12Z")
I would buy the rights to Firefly. Then I’d pay Josh Whedon to write an entire season’s worth of episodes. Then get all the actors under contract to shoot the season. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/59 "2013-03-08T03:11:29Z")
2.) Brewster must spend the money on tangible items. If anything he buys accrues value, such as an investment that earns money, that is considered part of the money he inherited and he must spend that as well. What if I buy items that are _losing_ value? Are my losses credited against my $30MM? ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902/60 "2013-03-08T03:22:36Z")
Buy any kind of fixed asset or marketable asset. You can do that with 50mn in a day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brewsters-millions-how-would-you-have-spent-it/175902.md?page=4)