Maybe I should get one of those signs that are on the houses of Bram Stoker, G.B.Shaw etc.
“Clogboy slept here”.
I would give them half of whatever question they helped answer. If I needed help on the $100 question. $50. on the $500,000, $250,000. seems fair. Of course this is before taxes, I would calculate what percentage went to tax and take that out, or would they pay it? whatever.
I was on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (for the record, I was never the fastest during the Fast Fingers round, so I never got to answer any questions, and didn’t win a cent), and my experience there gives me a different perspective on this question…
The night I was on, a guy who’d won a large amount of money phoned a friend for advice- and the friend gave him the wrong answer!
So, if it’s right and just to split money with a friend who helps you win… does the friend OWE you money if he gives you the wrong answer?
Well there isn’t much time (don’t you love it when the ‘friend’ goes all quiet, and the clock is on less than 10 seconds :eek: ), and you’d have to read their writing.
But the organisers aren’t bothered. They’re making a fortune out of the phone lines alone, and still no UK person has won a million.
For publicity purposes alone, they’d love a ‘millionaire’.
There have been lots of contestants. I wonder what sort of deals have already been made.
I’m still waiting for the on air extortion. “Yes I know the answer to the $32,000 question. I also know you only promised me $500 if I helped you. Is that your final answer?”
“I would give them half of whatever question they helped answer. If I needed help on the $100 question. $50. on the
$500,000, $250,000. seems fair.”
How does that work? Lets say you won $1M, after state & federal taxes, you would have $550,000 [the tax guy who won that 1m actually came out with only that much], if you give your friend $500,000 of that, you would have $50,000. Then your friend has to pay taxes on that $500,000 you gave him, so he comes out with about $220,000 net. Must be another way.
I would definitely give something to a friend who helped - not sure how much or what. Maybe it wouldn’t be cash, maybe I’d just take him or her on a big fabulous trip with me or get a really cool present.
Oh, if I were ever on the show, I would DEFINITELY want tomndebb to my main phone-a-virtual-aquaintance person. I’d give him something HUGE if I won.
This is why governments like these lotteries. They end up with 75% of the loot: only 50% goes to the prize fund, then half of that gets taken as tax.