Lottery Winner or Lottery Loser?

[mawnansmiff]

It has been widely reported here that the latest EuroMillions Lottery winner was a Brit who has scooped an eye popping £195,707,000! By all accounts that is the biggest ever win for a lottery player in the UK.

Now I have never bought a lottery ticket in my life….and I don’t intend to for a variety of reasons, one being that if I spent £1 per week on a lottery ticket, after a year I’d be kicking myself for being £52 short with nothing to show for it .

But seriously, of all the major lottery winners (over here at least), most have had a pretty poor time of it once the initial excitement is over. The divorce rate is considerably higher amongst winners which kind of proves that money doesn’t buy happiness.

To have untold millions of pounds suddenly thrust upon you what are you to do with it? Most will give monies to their nearest and dearest so they are 'comfortable', the more socially aware will make donations to causes close to their hearts but even then, they’re still left with amounts of money most folk can only dream of.

It’s a sad fact that there are so many stories in the newspapers of lottery winners that rue the day they had that call telling them they were richer than their wildest dreams could have made them.

If I were to make the decisions, wins would be pegged at £1m, then the latest win would have given 195 people a perfectly reasonable amount for their future but what do I know?

So, what are the thoughts of Forum members on lottery wins & winners, do you know any, were you a winner yourself?

Regards,

Jay.

 

[Brendan]

If I were to make the decisions, wins would be pegged at £1m, then the latest win would have given 195 people a perfectly reasonable amount for their future but what do I know?

This paragraph sums up my thoughts, I fully agree with you, imagine the good that would do for the country/economy etc.

That said if I played the lotto next week and won a hundred mill, well I wouldn't really mind that either!

I'd make sharing it and contributing back to society with that 100mill my full time job though!

Only ever win the odd twenty bucks when I rarely do play though, which of course I spend on another game and end up losing - but hey that's life. I'm pretty humble, I've always aimed low, enough money to buy a car or tidy off the mortgage would be my kinda luck and I'd be thrilled to do just that.

 

[AJL67]

Same here but you really only hear about the people that let it eff up their life, usually they give money to all their friends, buy 5 houses and a Ferrari for every house and let some con man control their money and investments while he siphons off money. You don’t hear about the smart people.

Personally if i win the lottery i plan on dying in Vegas under a pile of gorgeous hookers (also known as instagram influencers) and cocaine. The best mortician in the world won’t be able to get the smile off my face.

 

[LotusEater]

I don’t play the lottery but I think I would like the opportunity to ruin my life with a couple hundred million.

 

[sham]

Same here but you really only hear about the people that let it eff up their life, usually they give money to all their friends, buy 5 houses and a Ferrari for every house and let some con man control their money and investments while he siphons off money. You don’t hear about the smart people.

Personally if i win the lottery i plan on dying in Vegas under a pile of gorgeous hookers (also known as instagram influencers) and cocaine. The best mortician in the world won’t be able to get the smile off my face.

read about WV man jack whittaker. Winning the lottery is not a blessing, it is a curse. If I recieved a winnning lottery ticket, I'd burn it.

 

[winton]

About a decade ago, one of my co-workers gave me a lottery ticket. I won $2. I invested it in tobacco.

 

[fireground_piper]

Iv only ever played as part of a group from work.

The money, I’m confident I could manage just fine. It’s the publicity of the winners that brings the ruins and keeps me from ever playing. There’s nothing quite like winning $100 million and then also telling the world about it. Only bad things come from that.

 

[Brendan]

read about WV man jack whittaker. Winning the lottery is not a blessing, it is a curse. If I recieved a winnning lottery ticket, I'd burn it.

Think of your cellar man!

 

[AJL67]

Iv only ever played as part of a group from work.

The money, I’m confident I could manage just fine. It’s the publicity of the winners that brings the ruins and keeps me from ever playing. There’s nothing quite like winning $100 million and then also telling the world about it. Only bad things come from that.

This is why smart people hire a reputable management company, almost like a sports agent. They start a trust for the money which allows you to remain anonymous in most cases, then they send you on a 5 star vacation wherever you want to go and they pay for it until you have your money, they have no control over your actual money only you do, they will recommend finscisl management companies if you want to invest, personally I’d just toss it in a very large bank account or three. The people that do that are the ones you never hear about and they are rich and happy but low key.

 

[Elric]

I don't play (and consequently don't win), but will go along for the sake of a thought exercise.

I doubt it would change my life much. I have no need for additional real estate or cars that become increasingly difficult to enter and exit. I would likely pay off a few bills and make sure the parents are set. The only luxury I envision would be to build one heck of a smoking room/cellar onto the house. Then, I'd make sure this forum had enough tobacco to weather any FDA assault. The follow-on activity would be to retire and road trip around the country to enjoy a pipe with you lot in real life. Maybe pull a trailer behind the Jeep for the mother of all box passes.

 

[fireground_piper]

This is why smart people hire a reputable management company, almost like a sports agent. They start a trust for the money which allows you to remain anonymous in most cases, then they send you on a 5 star vacation wherever you want to go and they pay for it until you have your money, they have no control over your actual money only you do, they will recommend finscisl management companies if you want to invest, personally I’d just toss it in a very large bank account or three. The people that do that are the ones you never hear about and they are rich and happy but low key.

Most states forbid anonymous winning. There’s only like 6 or 7 that allow it. Reason being, announcing winners keeps faith in the public that it’s not rigged and real people actually win.

 

[AJL67]

Most states forbid anonymous winning. There’s only like 6 or 7 that allow it. Reason being, announcing winners keeps faith in the public that it’s not rigged and real people actually win.

A quick google search shows it at 11, this is also the point of setting up a trust as the winnings belong to the trust not to you.

 

[justscience]

Challenge accepted. I will brazenly defy the expected ruin of my life. I double dog dare ya. Bring on the millions. Yah, I thought so.

 

[fireground_piper]

A quick google search shows it at 11, this is also the point of setting up a trust as the winnings belong to the trust not to you.

Yes, it's state to state. My state just made the change to anonymous about 2 years ago as an option. Not all state will allow a trust, all depends on state law.

 

[simong]

I think I've bought a couple of tickets but never won anything.
Not the most exciting reply I guess but there you go! Lol
I knew a girl in Cardiff who won the national in bingo one night. She blew the lot partying within a couple of months.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Regards anonymity, that's a choice given to all lottery winners here though I can maybe understand the reasoning in the US to name the winners.

Perhaps that's one reason not to want to win a huge amount (having your name plastered everywhere then having every nutjob in the district and beyond calling on you for a personal donation ).

Regards,

Jay.

 

[AJL67]

I think I've bought a couple of tickets but never won anything.
Not the most exciting reply I guess but there you go! Lol
I knew a girl in Cardiff who won the national in bingo one night. She blew the lot partying within a couple of months.

? then begging for her job back probably or actually i wouldn’t go back I’d have to find a new place.

 

[tbradsim1]

Wife plays it all the time, if we won I probably give it to my kids, at this point in life I got what I need and want. I Garronte!

 

[telescopes]

Hedonism is a form of power, and like all power, it corrupts. Some, more than others, but it corrupts no less. The instinct to use the money for good is an initial reaction by I imagine most people…. That is until they utter the words, “It’s my money and I can do with it what I want.” At that point, all bets are off and the corruption has an infection site.

 

[prairiedruid]

What if??? I'd buy a house up in the north woods on a lake. I taught for many years so would donate to the local high school vocational programs and fund a scholarship or 2. College/vocational school funds for the grandkids. Buy a bigger barn than Peck and stock even more pipe tobacco.