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If You Won The Lottery, How Would You Spend It?

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David In Indy:
New Jersey Couple Claims Half of Lottery Prize

By WAYNE PARRY (AP)


ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (March 20) - A New Jersey couple claimed half of the record $390 million Mega Millions jackpot on Monday and said they are retired - effective immediately.


A New Jersey couple claimed the other half of the prize on Monday.
They issued a statement through the lottery board.


Elaine and Harold Messner chose the cash option for the prize from the March 6 drawing in the multistate game. They will receive $116,557,083 before the 25 percent federal withholding tax.

The New Jersey Lottery identified them only as being from Cape May County, at the state's southern tip.

"We feel very fortunate and blessed," Harold Messner said in a statement issued by the Lottery. "This is that early retirement we've always dreamed of. Now we can do all those things we said we would do once we retired."

A truck driver in Georgia had the other winning ticket and claimed it within hours of the drawing.



Ed Nabors was the first person to step forward and claim
 part of the jackpot from the drawing earlier this month.


Messner said he and his wife didn't sleep for the rest of the night after they realized the ticket he had purchased at a liquor store in Woodbine had all the winning numbers.

The couple said they wanted to talk to a financial adviser before coming forward.



The winning numbers were 16-22-29-39-42, with the Mega Ball 20.


The previous largest U.S. lottery jackpot was $365 million in 2006, when eight workers at a Nebraska meatpacking plant won the Powerball drawing. The Big Game, the forerunner of Mega Millions, paid out a $363 million jackpot in 2000.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington state.


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

David In Indy:
I guess a better question would be "Do you even play the lottery?", because I don't. I haven't bought a lottery ticket in more than 5 years. And they always say "You can't win if you don't play", so this REALLY IS a pipe dream for me.

But if I did win, I would definately give some of it to friends and family (20%).

I would probably give 10% of it to a charity. Maybe to AIDS research, or some kind of safe haven or recreation center for young gay youth.

I would save half of whatever I had left and spend the other half.

I would love to buy a home somewhere in the English countryside and a vacation home in Hawaii or the Carribean the two of us. Then I would buy a Lear jet to shuttle us back and forth between our homes. Also, a personal pilot to fly the plane.

It would be really cool to own my own business too. Maybe a small camera shop, or a music store specializing in stringed instruments (violins, cellos, guitars, etc).

Then, I would live off the interest earned from the 50% I saved. I doubt I would quit my job though, or if I did I would probably continue to work. I think it would be really cool to work a normal job, but not have to. Then, if the boss started yelling at me, I could tell him to "TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT"!! lol

What would you do if you won the lottery?

j.U.d.E.:
I've never won, but then I never play...  :laugh:

I would invest it though and give to charity.

j. U. d. E.

nic:
I play on occasion & mostly think it is obscene that there are few prizes of stupid amounts when there should be more prizes of lower amounts. 

But if I won, as well as donating to charity & seeing friends & family alright, I'd start travelling - beginning with the most ancient site in the world & working my way chronologically all around the globe. All Brokies would be welcome to join me!  :)

opinionista:
I play ocassionally. I didn't used to, now I buy a ticket from time to time. I've never won a big prize but I have won small ones, which isn't bad. But if I ever win a jackpot I'd pay off my bills, give about 20% to my family and friends, and would donate some for stem cells research, and to a shelter for abused women located near my place. There's something I always wanted to do, but I am not sure how I am going to do it, but I would like to pay for somebody's college education. Not just someone from my family, but someone I don't necessarily know that might be in need. It's so expensive to go to school, it's ridiculous. Sure there are Financial Aid but it doesn't pay for the the entire education and you always end up taking student loans. Education should be free, IMO or very cheap. That's what I like about Spain. College is cheap and it is good. People here get out from college with an education and ready to work, without the need to worry about having to pay off student loans.  If I had the money, I'd like to help somebody out, someone in America or in countries where college education costs more than your life.

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