# What would you do if you won 10 billion dollars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581 "2017-06-22T02:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/81 "2017-06-25T14:30:13Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > He said 20,000 _at once_. Sure, but that is only 250,000,000 per hour what is he going to do with the other 9 billion? I just gave a suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/82 "2017-06-25T14:49:03Z")
Multiple things: Set up a perpetual trust to support family members. Have money constantly be reinvested with dividends given to family to support them in an upper middle class lifestyle for perpetuity. Maybe put 2 billion into the trust, and pay a flat $300,000 (adjusted for inflation) to every family member per year. That’ll keep family in the black for at least 5 generations. Invest in neuroscience research. Do what Paul Allen is doing, put a few hundred million into neuroscience R&D to speed up research in that field. Travel everywhere for a while (what do you do to prevent kidnapping though, do you need to bring bodyguards everywhere?) ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/83 "2017-06-25T14:52:32Z")
Use half to buy a lots and lots of land, remove all traces of man and put in a back to nature park. Just let nature be nature. Now with the other half, I am sure I could find something interesting. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/84 "2017-06-25T14:54:45Z")
Ten billion exceeds the total annual GDP of quote a few countries, including Bahamas and Fiji. I could own a tropical island with a seat in in the UN. Actually if I had ten billion, all I would do is worry about securing and/or wisely using it, amd trusting people for their expertise. Not worth it – presently I worry about nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/85 "2017-06-25T15:39:32Z")
Oh! Another one…arrange a sponsorship deal (possibly through a not-technically-a-front-company) with Disney to fund a pavilion or two at Epcot. Re-fund, that is. I just want to see Wonders of Life again. Maybe Horizons, too. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/86 "2017-06-25T16:23:10Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Truly a laudable goal. I just wondered… You do realize that non-profits require profit in order to function? That is, it’s basically a business where the profit goes into expansion of programming. I haven’t slept so maybe I’m misunderstanding your post, but I’m a nonprofit development professional so I can’t help but point this out. I am aware. The profits would roll back into the company to make it grow, but the goal wouldn’t be an annualized return for any investor, i.e., me. My only condition would be a limitation on the ratio of CEO/employee wages. If that means I don’t get “the best” CEO to run the business, so be it. I won’t even care if it loses money as long as the losses are modest. The goal is to become a self-sustaining model so that if something happens to me it doesn’t collapse. My thing is that I am an alcoholic, and between alcohol rehabilitation, AA, and other recovery organizations, I’ve met literally thousands of people who are sitting on felonies or high-level misdemeanors and simply have no chance to ever overcome mistakes they made. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen someone come apart talking about how they are just scraping by and want to do better but can’t find anything because their applications are round-filed almost immediately. There is no reason why someone who wants to work should not be able to make a contribution. If I had that much coin I would give them that chance instead of doing something that would only benefit me, or giving opportunities only to people who are already likely to find success elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/87 "2017-06-25T21:04:23Z")
Buy me a think tank and some Congress Critters (national and state) to counter-balance the Kochs, ALEC, etc. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/88 "2017-06-25T21:55:52Z")
1. Financially destroy Peter Angelos, buy the Orioles, and make certain that Cal Ripken Jr. has complete say in the running of the entire organization. 😃 2. Get out of debt forever, and make sure my family has no debt. Create huge college funds for all nieces and nephews, and the future great nieces and nephews… (Any left over after each has graduated can be used as down payments on homes.) 3. Buy a large old home or farmhouse near family, have it completely restored (not rebuilt) by Nicole Curtis. Then buy a luxury RV for the band (Celtic Knot, music of the British Isles and beyond…) to tour around the US and Canada 5 months a year. 4. Invest 10% in precious metals and businesses that have a mission and ethic that matches ours (Not going to get in that discussion here). 5. Give the rest away. Veterans’ charities, Samaritan’s Purse type organizations, educational and literacy charities, charities that allow children and the poor to get involved with music, Thomas More Society, FIRE, ADF, PJI, and others like them. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/89 "2017-06-25T21:59:07Z")
Buy a small island and invite friends, family, etc to live there. Live far away from the rest of the world and its problems. Donate at least 100 million to various charities especially cancer charities, AIDs charities and children’s charities as well as donate a few million per year to organizations which do research or work to alleviate those same ills. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/90 "2017-06-26T15:35:37Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Sorry, but the correct response is "The kind that would double, uhhh, triple, hmmmm, 20,000 up on on guy like **Whiskey Dickens** do. 😃 This guy gets it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/91 "2017-06-26T20:17:21Z")
After this: Probably some lame stuffs like buying houses and lands and give to charities like kids medical crap and titty cancer. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/92 "2017-06-26T21:10:34Z")
Buy the Washington Redskins. Change the name to the Washington Honkies. Visit the town of Twatt, Shetland, Scotland. Visit the town of Twatt, Orkney, Scotland. Find a worthy gentleman with family roots in both communities. Persuade the Crown to make him a Lord of Parliament. You’ve heard of a vanity press? I would have a vanity movie studio. My first project would be a porn film in Imax 3D. ---
**Author:** ![Onyerbike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onyerbike/32/5402_2.png) [@Onyerbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onyerbike)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/93 "2017-06-27T02:56:45Z")
Well the first thought in my head was “live like a king”, but that is old hat and very predictable. So instead I would try to _be_ a king. Buy land enough out in the scrub to build a small empire on. Then build that small empire. The Republic of Onyerbike welcomes most! Invite anybody to live there who will swear not to bring a cat. Then I would plan on a steady decline in mental health followed by a half assed invasion of my neighbours. The european monarchies set a particular bar in that regard which I would intend on showing up. Bunch of pretend crazy people, I’ll show them. In all seriousness… I’d invest heavily in the sciences, especially the various computing and medical ones (AI research will help with both!). I’d like to position the CSIRO as a formidable political entity as well as a world leader in research and technology. I’d also plunge a bunch of money into destroying the garbage that is modern day hollywood, probably by funding various other centres of art around the world. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2017, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/94 "2017-06-27T06:53:16Z")
I would do the same as I would with a smaller large sum of money, but harder. The obstacle to running a successful business is profit. With a starting capital of 10 billion, I could run a business that was successful even though it had no good reason to be. I would arrange to mail everyone in Britain a slice of toast, every day for a year. I would Pay a team of animation artists to make a boring cartoon show about moths, then buy airtime to broadcast it. I would introduce a financial incentive for people to buy purple cars, and so on. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2017, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/95 "2017-06-27T07:51:35Z")
I would give everyone in my family a million bucks and tell them don’t ask for any more. I wonder how many of them would kill themselves before they went broke. Get myself a nice brownstone in Brooklyn with an actual yard. Have my husband run that non-profit he’s always talking about. In my nice Brooklyn brownstone would be a studio where I could paint, mosaic, jewelry-make my ass off. I would most definitely pay someone to clean my house. My biggest extravagance would be that I’d take taxis everywhere (I don’t drive). And then all the Foundations! I’d love to do something like Jimmy Carter did when he eradicated trachoma. Do that from kindergarten to college thingie where you pick a school and pay for all the kid’s college who meet certain standards and enhance their educational experience all through their school years. Have a PayPal account that I will use solely to dole out money to my favorite internet content providers. With 10 billion, I should be thinking bigger but I lack the imagination. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2017, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/96 "2017-06-27T10:02:50Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I would give everyone in my family a million bucks and tell them don’t ask for any more. I wonder how many of them would kill themselves before they went broke. Get myself a nice brownstone in Brooklyn with an actual yard. Have my husband run that non-profit he’s always talking about. > > In my nice Brooklyn brownstone would be a studio where I could paint, mosaic, jewelry-make my ass off. I would most definitely pay someone to clean my house. My biggest extravagance would be that I’d take taxis everywhere (I don’t drive). > > And then all the Foundations! I’d love to do something like Jimmy Carter did when he eradicated trachoma. Do that from kindergarten to college thingie where you pick a school and pay for all the kid’s college who meet certain standards and enhance their educational experience all through their school years. Have a PayPal account that I will use solely to dole out money to my favorite internet content providers. With 10 billion, I should be thinking bigger but I lack the imagination. Well, for one thing, you could buy a car that you loved and hire a driver to drive it for you 24/7. Much better than taking a stinky taxi everywhere. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/97 "2017-06-27T14:31:23Z")
There’s probably a couple down-on-their-luck Nigerian princes who could maybe use a hand… BIAS (but in all seriousness) - I’d immediately start up The Eddie the Horrible Community Foundation and go right after the Bare Naked Ladies (the band!)\* with my legal dream team and somehow finagle changing the song title to _If Had Ten Billion Dollars_. And possibly the odd lyric: “If I had ten billion dollars, I’d buy you a lagoooo-ooooooo-ooooooo-ooooooo-oooooooooooon…” I think I’d try my hand at [philanthropy](http://www.johncandy.com/VideoDetail.aspx?VideoID=28&VideoSection=16). At the very least I’d outo Mr. Neutron, who purchased just a spoon to eat all the ice cream in the world. \*for now;) ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/98 "2017-06-28T16:19:20Z")
Buy out all of Trump’s properties and remove the T. In all seriousness, I can’t imagine using more than a few percent on myself, even given the large extended family. A lot of the money would end up being used in philanthropy. 10 billion dollars can do a lot for homelessness and the mental illnesses that cause it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/99 "2017-06-28T16:31:30Z")
I went to the dentist yesterday and was told, yet again, that I’m not flossing often or effectively enough. So if I won all that money, the first thing I’d do is to stop flossing entirely. (I’d still brush, of course; I’m not a barbarian.) And then I’d have a weekly appointment with a dental hygienist for a cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581/100 "2017-06-28T18:05:56Z")
After the Do Good things and making sure my family and close friends are taken care of, one of the self-indulgent things I’d do is hire a bunch of top-notch attorneys. Any time someone pissed me off, I’d sue the pants off him. Even if I had no real case – just to hassle him. The Trump family would be in court virtually nonstop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-you-won-10-billion-dollars/789581.md?page=6)