This is a placeholder thread. What should the order of operations be on this thing in the first few weeks? I'm not worried yet about the long term, that will take care of itself. It's the crazy short term that I'm not quite prepared for yet.

I'm thinking claim the prize as soon as possible to avoid suicide inducing luck like losing the ticket or having a debilitating car accident or something. The payout doesn't happen immediately so I'm thinking after that make contact with a trusted fiduciary and then let them basically manage the process? I follow Barry Ritholz and Josh Brown and I think it would be cool as hell for them to manage at least $50M of it. I assume they'd have a good recommendation on a law firm I'd need to hire. Also, should the wife and I plan on getting the hell out of town for our safety? Hire a body guard or two to watch the premises 24/7 or does that draw too much attention? I think NC isn't a right to privacy state on this which sucks.

Tdub, what say thee?

1/3/2016 7:43:48 PM

even if your number is not public, you will get lots of calls

people will ask for money, and when you tell them no, they will try to find ways to sue you

your family will downright threaten you when you tell them no or don't give them "enough"

long lost relatives and friends will magically appear, and you should hire a food taster to see if its poison

hire two lawyers and two financial management firms, preferably ones that either don't know or don't like each other, and offer a cash reward if they catch the other one fucking you

if you have kids, they need security ASAP, more than you do (the school may demand you take them out, due to safety concerns of the school)

move to a gated community with a guard station and a gate up front, the other rich people there will despise you, but most likely wont try to kill or rob you

1/3/2016 7:53:32 PM

Form a trust so nobody knows you won

1/3/2016 8:00:55 PM

I don't believe this.

Proof needed!

1/3/2016 8:39:55 PM

Don't think you can claim anonymously in this state.

I always imagined that the short-term stuff would be a huge pain. I'd try to leave town for six months. Hope that the random stranger type people just kind of forget.

I'd use my parents to be my mediators for long lost relatives. Give them some money, tell them to allocate the way they want as the requests come in. Once that allocation is gone, it's gone.

I agree about getting a gated community with a guard station and some security. Again, at least until time goes by and people just know you're rich but they don't know why.

1/3/2016 8:55:30 PM

Oh yeah, trust or LLC is definitely the way to go. I haven't told the wife yet and I'm thinking I'm not...at least initially. Its going to be hilarious and a ton of fun leading her to believe I've gone completely off my rocker by just skipping work like a don't give a what buying supplies and building a trebuchet in the front yard.

1/3/2016 8:59:23 PM

Buy TWW immediately.

1/3/2016 9:38:01 PM

congrats

1/4/2016 1:44:25 AM

leave the country forever. never pay taxes on it. take the cash to switzerland and live out your life in peace away from the blood sucking leaches that call themselves friends and family

1/4/2016 3:31:12 AM

I dont think too many random strangers will care all that much other than people trying to con you into stupid investments or donating to their charity. When is the last time you cared about someone else winning the lottery? Its the family and friends part that becomes the bitch. It's easy to tell a stranger to fuck off but difficult to tell family and friends because at some point you have to cut it off and people will be pissed. If I wasnt tied to Raleigh I would simply move someplace far away but I would kinda be stuck here so that would be annoying for a while I suppose.

1/4/2016 8:18:32 AM

i think you should give each active TWW user $1,000,000.

i mean you would still have like $390 million left after that.

1/4/2016 11:20:39 AM

People might be hurt initially if you're not a walking ATM. But, if they're intelligent at all, they should understand. It's clearly best for everyone to maintain relationships that are not beset by dependence and greed.

You just get to be the cool guy who can gift a college fund for your friend's new baby, match your nephew on his car savings, help your niece go on that summer trip, or whatever...

But, obviously, you don't buy your cousin a bar and then act all surprised when he comes to you with a nasty drug habit and a pregnant 19-year-old hostess.


The lottery is supposed to ruin your life, not yours and half the people you know.

1/4/2016 11:26:28 AM

No way to avoid taxes. The state takes them right off the top before you are paid.

1/4/2016 12:36:40 PM

First things first: post on TWW about it

1/4/2016 12:40:35 PM

so are we all supposed to believe this or wut :3

1/5/2016 12:24:20 AM

^^^^lol

1/5/2016 12:58:49 AM

Quote :

"take the cash to switzerland and live out your life in peace"

Honestly, this would be one of my first moves. Nobody can touch it there and it will be safe, and basically that entire country is just one bank and those guys don't fuck around when it comes to security and numbers. I would make sure that it is secure, probably move my family to Europe for six months, and then figure out how to allocate and invest it.

In terms of investing, can't help but to think that I would want to start a business of some sort, especially since that is currently a career goal of mine.

1/5/2016 5:50:48 AM

I got my tickets

LETS GO

1/6/2016 11:19:55 AM

I would buy TWW and as my first act as owner enable photo tagging.

Also, Michael Smith is the most common name in the US. You could change your name to Michael Smith prior to cashing in your ticket, then immediately throw the money in a trust.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whats-the-most-common-name-in-america/

1/6/2016 11:54:03 AM

I would buy TWW and suspend everybody hahaha

1/6/2016 11:56:44 AM

Yeah if your name was Michael Smith people would have a really hard time looking you up.

https://www.facebook.com/search/str/michael%2Bsmith/keywords_users

1/6/2016 11:59:31 AM

1/6/2016 12:08:29 PM

Also this...
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Figure-8-Island_Wilmington_NC/sby-2?pgsz=15

1/6/2016 12:20:56 PM

yes, please "invest" in property that will (not might) be destroyed by a hurricane.

1/6/2016 5:29:43 PM

Figure 8 doesn't even have street lamps

1/6/2016 5:36:26 PM

my peoples are still at carolina beach

1/6/2016 8:42:09 PM

Quote :

"yes, please "invest" in property that will (not might) be destroyed by a hurricane. "

Shit I would still do it. Even if you only ended up with $100 million after cash option, taxes, splits etc. you're spending 2% of your net worth on insured property.

Rent it out a couple times a year to a celebrity, athlete, CEO etc to cover expenses, insurance.

1/7/2016 12:03:38 PM

Quote :

"so are we all supposed to believe this"

1/7/2016 4:54:19 PM

I invested in a beach house, that shit hasn't been destroyed

1/7/2016 7:24:50 PM

I think winning the lottery could be tough if you care about your relationship with family and friends. You could keep it to yourself, but would have to lie to everyone you know for the rest of your life unless they find out, then they'll be pissed. If you tell them, even if they don't want your money, your relationship with them will never be the same. If you do give them money, they will wonder why you don't give them more considering how much you have or why you gave them less than another person. But if you are okay with losing all but a select few, or only have a few to start out, then you'll probably be alright.

1/7/2016 11:27:20 PM

I think winning the lottery is a cool guy and doesn't afrade of anything

1/8/2016 1:33:54 AM

i'm pretty much a loner these days outside of my work, except i keep close contact with my family - aka my cousins are my best friends and keep close contact with my siblings. i'd make sure they're cared for for life. outside of that, i'd probably buy tdub and invest in a new training facility for nc state athletics. outside of that i'd probably invest half in a long term type of s&p 500 fund and live off the dividends and then buy some new toys and move to monte carlo and chillax till i rot away.

[Edited on January 8, 2016 at 3:47 AM. Reason : .]

1/8/2016 3:46:30 AM

ok why are we talking about this tho

1/8/2016 4:27:34 AM

Estimated to hit $900 million for tomorrow's drawing. If somehow no one wins...will definitely exceed $1 billion.

1/8/2016 7:46:59 AM

1/9/2016 11:12:30 PM

I got the powerball right!

Only needed the other 5 numbers to hit

1/9/2016 11:48:23 PM

why is everyone dumb enough to play this

1/10/2016 2:28:25 AM

Quote :

"hire two lawyers and two financial management firms, preferably ones that either don't know or don't like each other, and offer a cash reward if they catch the other one fucking you"

1/10/2016 6:50:48 AM

Quote :

"why is everyone dumb enough to play this"

They want to be rich as Dr. Dre for doing nothing.

1/10/2016 5:21:31 PM

1) when is the next drawing
2) how does buying a ticket work, just ask the guy for a ticket if i don't care about the number?

1/10/2016 8:16:34 PM

yes

1/10/2016 8:19:01 PM

^^
You have to pay in cash, a Powerball ticket is $2, just walk in, say you want X Powerball tickets, hand cash, walk out.

1/10/2016 8:37:53 PM

i cant stand it when i go into a gas station just to buy a drink and have to wait behind a bunch of morons buying lotto tickets

1/10/2016 8:41:19 PM

A dude tried to upsell me some lottery tickets, which is AGAINST THE LAW lol, and I kinda wanna be an uppity mom about it and report him.

^Same.

1/10/2016 8:53:31 PM

Quote :

"1) when is the next drawing"

wednesday i think

1/10/2016 8:58:11 PM

Bought lottery tickets for the first time ever today.

My thought as I was doing it was along the lines of "so this is what it feels like to throw away money. At least at the titty bar you get something"

Maybe I'll win $7.

1/10/2016 9:06:20 PM

i rarely ever buy 'em

it's a couple bucks so i can fantasize for a day or so about how great it'd be to win

1/10/2016 9:09:29 PM

Yeah Wednesday and Saturday at like 11PM.

I like to think I'm making public education better with my donations

1/10/2016 9:11:06 PM

Obviously, a lot of the money doesn't go to education. But, they also shuffle other money, too, so it's not like it was extra money for education anyway.

The advertising has got to go...it's awful and annoying. And the fact that they have to do so much of it should be a sign of...something. I dunno!

1/11/2016 12:29:33 AM

Buy your relatives some lotto tickets as Christmas presents!

What a quality, family-friendly advertisement.

1/11/2016 12:41:15 AM