So if you have $500 million...?

What would you do with it and would you still work?

After reading the post about the gas prices, I need to dream about not having to worry about money anymore.

Oddly enough I would still work, although maybe part time. Pay off student loans, bills, buy a house, give to some well deserving charities, some to my family, ensure DS's future, and just save the rest.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

1st - head to the Bahamas for 8 weeks with a few of the closest of family/friends- string of nannies & tutors in tow for the kids-Tummy Tucks, Boob Lifts, Laser Hair Removal, & Boot Camp for the adults.

2nd - order in a contractor to finish the current house to exactly what I know it could be - pavers, siding, windows, landscaping, new kitchen, bathroom, basement, fencing. I would keep the house and let a family member use live in it.

3rd - find that exactly perfect house on the water somewhere between the North Shore of Long Island, Westchester and the South Shore of Conneticut. Acres of private waterfront property, sailboat, Multicar Garage (filled with cars I get to pick --- no more 'we have a red one in the lot, you can have that one')

4th - Decide what to do with the money - open up franchises? Buy properties to manage? Set up a foundation? Which charities to donate? So many ideas here, there needs to be a sub-category!

5th - Settle my very close family/friends. My parents, inlaws and a few select people would be taken care of

6th - Trust funds for our children. College Funds for our Godchildren.

7th - plan a 2 month vacation to Europe. A month in Italy at least.


So much more :)

Big dreams with big money!

Message edited 3/28/2012 11:13:22 PM.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I don't currently work, so that wouldn't change...

If I won al that money though, I would set up a charity so women who do not get infertility coverage in their medical plans could get things like drugs and procedures covered, as well as help towards adoption and surrogacy fees if needed.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

ANYTHING I damn well please!
I don't currently work and I wouldn't start again after winning that much money

ETS: I would like to start some type of organization for teenage mothers. Not exactly sure what. I'll figure that out when I win

Message edited 3/28/2012 11:52:47 PM.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I would definitely open a free summer camp/day care center for those who can't afford it.


I would send a god size donation to the Trinca family also

I would give a lot of money to my coworkers and we would all tell upper management where to stick and walk out in a dramatic fashion

Spend a lot more time gardening

Probably redo my house or move to a nicer one, take a vacation etc. The typical stuff

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

i would set up a home for adults with autism and a school for children with autism..

then i would just roll around in it?

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I would be afraid to have that much money... KWIM?

I would like a cool million... enough to pay off debt, put some away for college and buy a nice home.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

sell my house, go on vacation with hubby and all my cats, buy a new house with the proper space i need, all new stuff to go in the house (actually antiques), buy a new car, pay off my debt (which isn't much but i would give back all the money i ever had to get from my parents to get me by, have children finally without fear and then invest - save - donate to cat charities possibly start one to TNR and hope it doesn't all fall apart on me Bahahahha

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

Definitely travel all over the world, sometimes just DH and I, sometimes with our families, and sometimes with our close friends. Never fly coach again

I would most likely quit my job and just do foundation/charity work. DH would definitely quit his job (he hates it).

Donate a lot to cancer research (my family is plagued by it )

Buy a big, beautiful mansion somewhere on the island, plus several other vacation homes around the world. Maybe even our own island a la Johnny Depp

Definitely hire a chef to cook all healthy foods, a maid, and personal trainer for my in home state of the art gym.

A personal shopper to fill my gigantic closet with the hottest bags, shoes, and clothes.

Set up trusts/college funds for our future children and future nieces and nephews.

No debts to pay off for me or DH or our families but I would set our parents & siblings up with some cash.

Then live extremely comfortably for the rest of our lives

Message edited 3/29/2012 9:19:49 AM.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

- First and foremost, hire at least 2 financial planners and a lawyer.

- Then call work to quit my job asap.

- Claim my prize and keep myself and family as anonymous as possible!

- Pay all my immediate family members mortgages or other debt.

- Set up education trust fund for DC and 15 nieces and nephews

- Call a travel agent to travel the world for a year

- Find another place to move to, preferably where my family can be anonymous! Dont need to be the target of greedy criminals or anyone else asking for handouts

- Set up a charity for neglected and abused children and women

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I would probably sell my business or let my assistant have it. I would never work again.
I would have my husband quit his job. I would tell him to pursue his passions instead of staying in a job he doesn't like to help support his family. Which probably means he would golf his life away.
I would travel ALOT. And with a nanny so we can enjoy family time and grown up time.
I would buy property as investments, but let a managing company dap with the every day BS.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

1. buy a nice piece of land and build my dream home.

2. buy myself and my DH new cars, and one of those big winnebagos for cross country trips.

3. pay off all of our debit and our families debit

4. give each of my siblings 1 million, and each "family unit" in our families 500k.

5. donate 5 million to the Susan G. Komen foundation, and 5 million to different organizations assisting families of children with Down Syndrome

6. Set up savings account for my future children

7. buy myself a nice new wardrobe

8. Invest

9. Put the rest in a high interest savings account and live off of the interest

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I would only work on my side gig since I do that for fun now.. I'd quit my day job.

The thing is, I think I'd hate not working over the long term. I think if I didn't work I'd blow through all of that money.. YES, $500 million. Because I'd have nothing better to do with my time than spend it. Not good.

My DH would quit his job immediately, I know this. and I think that would bug me after a while too.

I'd much rather win $1 million instead of $500 million because the pressure that comes with all that is probably not worth it.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

The very first thing I would do is pay off my law school loan debt. Then the rest of our debt (not including mortgage). I'd probably then put our house on the market, while looking for a new one.

Vacation would be nice but probably not right away. Not prepared to leave the country with a 5 month old (I also don't have a valid passport, lol).

As for working... I would definitely try to go part time. I don't think I could be SAHM but I am having a hard time being a FTWM.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I'd open a bakery, buy a house, take everyone I love on vacation, pay off debts.

ETA: As far as charity wise, I'd open up a no kill animal shelter.

Message edited 3/29/2012 12:05:11 PM.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I have honestly thought about this A LOT.

I KNOW what I would do.

I'm clearing the debt of every single person I love - every person who has ever lifted a finger to help me or mine in any way. I can't promise to support them for life (There are soo many people I need to help) - but I can make sure that they are set to start again with nothing owed to anyone.

I will set up education funds for a whole ton of kids that I know and love - including my own.

I will invest a large money toward my retirement and my kids futures via stock, bonds, money markets and real estate.

I have some plans for new businesses that I want to set up. This can help me put some people back to work and will be a source of revenue.

I have a LOT of non-profits that I want to give to and a couple of ideas for non-profits that I want to set up.

The amount of money that is up for grabs is OBSCENE. No one person NEEDS all of that and I would feel compelled to make sure that many people benefit from that win.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I'd give away a good amount between various charities and family and friends. Then there's paying off my own stuff, getting a little old beach house for myself, securing my future (and for my loved ones), traveling, etc.

I'd still work a few hours a week because I love what I do too much to stop.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I don't want my life to change all that much. I just want to live without ever having to decide if I should pay the cable bill or go food shopping.

I def would hire a lawyer and a fantastic accountant. Help me invest.

I don't work now so I doubt I would go back if I really didn't have too. My DH works...he wouldn't want to work but he would feel bad about leaving his boss without his help so he would do a less than part time.

Open up our party business.

We would buy the house I am in love with here around the block where we live now. People live there so I guess I'd have to offer something good to get them out.

New cars. One that doesn't shut off randomly like mine does now. A cell phone of my own, so that I wont be stranded or stuck in anymore situations where I have no phone to call for help.

Put away for our future and for the boys college. Have another baby...maybe even 3 more...

Pay off our debts, go on a fantastic vacation. Help those who helped us without ever expecting a single thing back.
Ignore the calls from the family that couldn't be bothered with us till we won.

Donate to charity.

Just try my best to stay US just with a lot of extra in the bank.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

FYI it is now $540 MILLION!!!

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

Posted by BellaRock

I don't want my life to change all that much. I just want to live without ever having to decide if I should pay the cable bill or go food shopping.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

With this amount of money, I would expect that neither DH nor I would work....in the traditional sense. I am certain that I would find many organizations that I would help out at. I am positive that opening up a non-profit kitty sanctuary could be considered work, however being forced to wake up at 6am to be at work at 9am and working until 5pm is not the kind of work I would be doing. Netting approx 250 million dollars would change my definition of "work."

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

First I would quit my job and take our whole family on an all expenses paid amazing vacation! Then I would get help with how to invest it and give to various charities. I would help family members/friends pay off certain things and buy them stuff. We would move back to NY and get a house on the water & a boat, nothing too crazy. I'd get to stay home with DD and have more kids.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I already don't work but DH would surely quit his job. We'd buy an awesome house, awesome cars, go on an epic shopping spree, travel, and of course........take care of out close family and friends so we can all enjoy life and have fun together.

After all the initial fun spending we'd invest our money so we can take care of our future generations.

To be that rich would be CRAZY awesome!!! Crossing my fingers that I win!

ETA - And FINALLY............go in for IVF so we can add to our family without breaking the bank!! And I would keep on trying until it worked since cost wold no longer be concern!

Message edited 3/29/2012 1:47:30 PM.

Re: So if you have $500 million...?

I would quit my job and get a new job doing some sort of charity work

Pay off debt and put some aside for DS and any future DC we may have

Give select family members some money


Take an amazing vacation with DH and DS