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I always find it somewhat fascinating when the lotto gets up this high. While the odds for any individual are impossibly long, the fact is that, once or twice a

I always find it somewhat fascinating when the lotto gets up this high. While the odds for any individual are impossibly long, the fact is that, once or twice a year, some schlub gets an immediate windfall of millions of dollars. Sometimes even hundreds of millions, enough money to vault a person into the top .1% of wealth in the world. Yeah, I've heard the stories of how people's lives are ruined. That just makes it more interesting. This seeming stroke of impossibly good fortune that somehow winds up being a curse. I'll usually buy a couple tickets when the jackpot starts making the news. I enjoy the fantasy even though in all likelihood getting a billion (or more like 4-500 million, after lump sum / taxes) might very well be much more busy harm than good.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago
Years ago I read somewhere, perhaps on HN, a fascinating strategy for winning a mega-lottery but not getting one’s life ruined. Per this strategy, once you see you have the winning number, the very first thing you should do is walk into a major law firm, and not settle for any representation lower than partner. That lawyer would then be able to manage the whole money-collection process in a way that could maximize your privacy and avoid scams.
- itisit 3y ago
  It’s a very well-known Reddit comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/24vo34/whats_the_happiest_5word_sentence_you_could_hear/chb4v05/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/24vo34/whats_the...
- epiccoleman 3y ago
  I've read that too, but the truth is that it doesn't really protect you from the real insidious effects of that level of money being dropped onto you at once. For instance: what do you tell your friends when you suddenly move into a big house? When you retire from your job? How does it affect your motivation to pursue your interests when money is no longer a concern and never will be again? I like to think I could manage to make it a positive thing, if that kind of money was dropped into my lap. I have a family who deserves more of my time, I have a ton of hobbies and projects I'd like to spend more time on. I have simple tastes for the most part and I think I could stay reasonably grounded. But still, it would be a big adjustment, and I can see how people have their lives ruined. Maybe a better way to state my point: the famous lottery post is great advice for making sure your life doesn't get ruined by outside forces, but it can't help you with the internal forces of your own mind/brain/soul.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago

Years ago I read somewhere, perhaps on HN, a fascinating strategy for winning a mega-lottery but not getting one’s life ruined. Per this strategy, once you see you have the winning number, the very first thing you should do is walk into a major law firm, and not settle for any representation lower than partner. That lawyer would then be able to manage the whole money-collection process in a way that could maximize your privacy and avoid scams.

itisit 3y ago
It’s a very well-known Reddit comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/24vo34/whats_the_happiest_5word_sentence_you_could_hear/chb4v05/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/24vo34/whats_the...
epiccoleman 3y ago
I've read that too, but the truth is that it doesn't really protect you from the real insidious effects of that level of money being dropped onto you at once. For instance: what do you tell your friends when you suddenly move into a big house? When you retire from your job? How does it affect your motivation to pursue your interests when money is no longer a concern and never will be again? I like to think I could manage to make it a positive thing, if that kind of money was dropped into my lap. I have a family who deserves more of my time, I have a ton of hobbies and projects I'd like to spend more time on. I have simple tastes for the most part and I think I could stay reasonably grounded. But still, it would be a big adjustment, and I can see how people have their lives ruined. Maybe a better way to state my point: the famous lottery post is great advice for making sure your life doesn't get ruined by outside forces, but it can't help you with the internal forces of your own mind/brain/soul.