In addition to my list above, I’d also buy three antique chamber pots. That way, after I inevitably descend into a self-destructive orgy of drug-fuelled hedonism and blow all my winnings on coke and high-class prostitutes, and people point me out on the street as a cautionary tale to their kids and say “Look at that scumbag, son. He used to have $500 million dollars, but now he doesn’t even have a pot to piss in,” I’ll be able to turn around and say “Yes I do. I have three!”
After time has passed, pay off some friends student loans. Set up college savings plans for their kids.
But a Tesla. Then the wife and I will travel the world to figure out where we want to live. Once we find that place find a decent, yet modest, home. But a couple of more to rent out for vacation homes. Then start a business I’ve wanted to. The good thing is if the business fails I’m not out anything extra than what I already wanted. I should still have many, many millions left. Have it invested to keep money coming in.
I’d travel with my mom. She hasn’t got a lot of years left, and wants to take one of those long train trips, like across Canada. I’d endow a nursing scholarship in her name, as that’s how she was able to go through school. Something similar for my dad, at a tech shool maybe. He was a motorcycle rider and loved it.
i’d endow a chunk for perpetual care of the little cemeteries where my family is buried.
Big donation to my church.
I’d build a new house with a big library and a professional style kitchen. There would be “quarters” for several dogs and cats.
I’d buy all the books I wanted.
I’d never worry about what’s going to happen to me when I’m old, as I’d have enough for the best nursing home care available, and I’m talking the best.
Make lots of donations as I heard of the need, through a lawyer, so it was anonymous. If one gives just to have your name on something there’s no charity in it.
I would make sure all my relatives are debt free and fund any educational needs. I think it’s good for people to work and earn a living but a leg up wouldn’t ruin anyone. I’d trust-fund their retirements.
If I was younger I’d keep working but I’m close enough to retire. I’d do a little traveling and come up with a working hobby that employs people and is fun for me. My toy list would grow at least to what I had planned before taking a financial beating.
Oh, and I’d buy some land along a large river. I’d put in a runway, docks and a restaurant that overlooked both. The restaurant would be part of a complex that held a world class recording studio and classrooms where I would breed musical talent.
I’d live like a total bitch for as long as I could, saying and doing whatever I felt like. Then I’d cash in the ticket and keep all the money for myself.
I’d finance the Dopefest to end all Dopefests. I’d set a date, book a floor or two of rooms in a hotel, and plan all kinds of events. Sure, it would be in Kansas, but we could still have fun and party. Bring the kids too, I’d arrange for licensed and bonded babysitters for when we had no kid events.
Land, land, lots of fracking land. Sure might be a nice place or two where land is expensive like beachfront property or the like but a few million there is all I’d ever want.
The land I like is the middle of nowhere stuff where you can maybe farm or grow pine trees, or the tennesse area middle of nowhere stuff where you can’t even really do that. And the middle of nowhere desert stuff.
You can buy a lot of land with hundreds of millions at a a few thousand an acre or less.
People who buy lottery tickets are disproportionately poor. Most poor people believe that rich people are just poor people with money, so when they win the lottery, they buy the stuff all rich people take for granted. It doesn’t work, because the rich are not just poor people with money who put on airs. They live in a different social universe where the constants of nature are not the same as in ours. I suspect that those who use their good fortune to help uplift the lives of others are the happiest. As they should be.
I would take the lump sum so I would not receive 800 mill
I would find an amazing assisted living/retirement place for my mother and her sister
Find a nice house to rent in an area I think I might want to live to test it out
Buy more art supplies!
Seriously Copic Markers in ever color and the best paper with which to use them.
I would go to an art store, someone mentioned, in Chicago and go crazy! Perhaps I would tour the US stopping at obscure art supply shops.
And eventually after I settled into my dream home (where ever that turned out to be) I would purchase a 1963 Lincoln Continental
Among other things, I’d find out how much lalaith thinks she needs to start her animal rescue, and provide the endowment.
There are some webcomic artists whom I’ve been freeloading off of for several years; I’d like to make amends to them.
I have a complex formula mapped out with which I plan to distribute roughly forty percent to my immediate family members, spouses, and offspring. The amount I calculated from the jackpot tonight would see about $935K to the offspring generation, and double that to my siblings and in-laws (half that to grandkids).
I’ve also made plans to invest about $60M to live on the interest, and invest a similar amount to give the interest to charities for the rest of my life.
Also, I want to live in a suite at the Grand Californian Hotel for about a year, while my house is being built.
