$500 MILLION: Mega Millions sets all-time lottery jackpot record

Nice plan aftermath! Good luck!

Oh trust me.. We've thought about it.. not that anybody would know that i possessed the winning ticket but id b so insecure about it.. thinking that'd b the time i get robbed or somebody would break into safe/safety deposit box.. and if u sign ur name it can't b claimed as a trust but if u don't somebody could sign their name.. lol.. I've thought bout it.. just gotta trust ur instincts when the time comes :-D

4hrs away for me as well!!! proally much better lawyers n accountants n a bigger city than mine.. i could go stay w my sis til they get it figured out!!

IN NH AND MASS!!! ;-)

Good Lord, Ridge. That'd serve it's purpose and clear the room for sure!

I wonder how much they will up the jackpot tomorrow. Anyone want to bet MM cash tops $400m by draw time?

Sirbrad,

I, and I believe most of the people on this site, would disagree with you.  There's nothing egotistical about it.  It has nothing to do with the winner as a person, so it's not ego or self-righteousness.  It's the money, and people's attempts to get some of it. 

Yes, of course, 99.9999% of people will go about their lives.  Normal people.  But just a few hundred, or even a few dozen grifters, can hound you and make your life miserable.  Some just begging, some pitching charity or business ideas.  Phone calls, mail, door-knockers, etc.  Since I don't want to leave my life and family and go into seclusion to avoid this (as some people seem to have no problem doing) I prefer to remain anonymous (and just slowly adjust living standards upwards as "new business opportunities" slowly pay-off).

I do, however, agree with you regarding the friends and family -- which is more to the point.  But if you don't keep it a secret from strangers, do you really think family and friends will forget about it in a couple of weeks?  You have to keep it secret from the media if you want to keep it secret from extended family.

Also, I'd prefer not to be known as a lottery winner to any businesses I may patronize.  I don't want them to feel entitled to jack-up prices and rip me off.

If it hits 1 billion will they have to rename it to Mega Billions?

Where on the Forbes list would you be if you hit a Billion dollars?

If you join the elite Billion dollar club, would you be looked down on because you won it?

I like the way you think ashabug! 

As from previous discussions, you'll never really see a Billion dollars, after state, federal taxes maybe just over half of that. No need to rename.

You would'nt even make the Forbes list.   

You really wouldn't be a Billionaire, so you couldn't get into the club to begin with.   

Yes AFTER deductions but they would have to put 1 billion on the signs and website would say 1 billion unless they cap it at 999 million

If you want to remain anonymous, set up a proxy or if you want to remain completely anonymous download an openvpn client and purchase your own vpn(virtual private network). If someone does win on this forum, I think the best way to have proof of winning is to post the county you purchased the winning ticket before the information is released.

Mega Millions has been around for quite some time now, this is the first time that it is approaching the billion dollar mark. (just over half that).

To rename the game would be appropriate if this were a common occurrence, hardly the case, hasn't ever happened yet.   

Besides, for the 99.999% of other Mega Million games, they would still be in the millions range. This would be very misleading to the majority of

players would would come to expect with the renamed game of "Mega Billions" that if they hit the Jackpot they will have the expectations

of wanting a billion or more dollars.       In the end, that will be up to the executives at MM.   

The curiousity is going to be so great I am afraid the retailer(s) might release the winners photo(s) from the security camera(s) before the winner even has a chance to come forward.  They are notified when and that they have sold the winning ticket.  Imagine being outed before you are ready holding a $600,000,000.00 ticket.........

if it went over 10 hundred mils. they could just say,

11 hundred mils.

12 hundred mils. etc.

Mega refers to a million.  A more accurate name would be Mega Dollars, but that doesn't sound as exciting.  Mega millions would seem to refer to trillions.  I suspect the name referring to trillions will serve adequately for quite a while.