Laid off Oregon man wins $1 million

True and I wish him well.  Several years ago when I first posted on LP, a member (Time*Treat) kept telling people to invest their money in gold.  I think it was about $650 an ounce at that time.   It went up to $1900 last year and is now about $1675.   Had I done what he suggested (I didn't) I would have made about 150% in 5 years, but a financial planner said "No, gold is too risky!"   However, I don't have young children to feed.

One of the best quotes I ever read about security in life was said by Helen Keller. 

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

Well, he's a very luck man.  I hope the family enjoys good health and has a bright future.  However, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd predict the money will all be gone in 5 years.

I'm afraid I have to agree with your prediction and raise you a couple years.  He sounds like a bit of a loose cannon who might not even be able to pay the remainder of his taxes come next April.

Well, perhaps rush purchases are rather necessary: 2 reliable jeeps (though w/higher auto insurance), programming courses (to find out if able to understand and turn into a consulting + programming business somehow), probably a bigger 1 month rental apt. space for their family of 5, a 'cash purchase' 4 bedroom $200K or so sturdy house, and some large appliances upon movein.

After probably necessary above purchases, with remainder $310K or so, after investing 2/3rds, I hope that Mrs. Gunn gets or keeps a full-time job quickly.  Mr. Gunn should probably focus on buying $250K personal life insurance policy, daily spending 8 hours going to his programming classes and/or studying; which will help him understand if he'd enjoy/be able to do programming or hire programming experienced employee for 8 or so hours per day M-Sa.  Meanwhile, might not be a good idea to put their three children into private schools and/or several extracurricular activities.

This exciting $310K remainder might be just enough money if earmarked to only spend the interest/dividends (after capital gains taxes set-aside) each month for several decades.

Congratulations to the Gunn family......

Yes, that's why he's taking programming classes right now.

He was a project manager at a telecommunications company and his wife was a customer service

representative for a software contractor.

Perhaps he picked up a couple things that led him into wanting to start a software business.

According to the Yahoo article he's had ideas for software for a while now.

People change careers all the time, and some change to one that's has nothing do to with

their previous career and end up being real success story.

Thid is from Glynis McCants, "The Numbers Lady"

The number 8  encourages financial security. I have had many clients put an 8 in their wallet, and just leave it in there. Next thing you know, they get a check out of the blue that they were not expecting, or they get a surprise promotion.

The bottom line is that it does increase the prosperity in their life. I suggest you print out or write the number 8 on a piece of paper, put it in your wallet, and forget about it.You might want to put an 8 up on the wall where you pay your bills. 

You are simply letting the universe know that you are ready for more financial prosperity in your life.I have had hundreds of emails from people telling their story of financial success by doing this. If you want to speed up the process, I suggest you start saying the following affirmation: "I pay my bills with ease, and I always have extra money".

Repeat these words no less than 15 minutes a day, AND YOU WILL GET RESULTS

Those parasites include the President, the Senate majority leader, and Mrs. "We've got to pass it to see what's in it (ACA).

Hmmm...another quick pick! I believe someone on LP said that QP's never win!

Knowing his wife would not approve because money was so tight, but feeling he was sure to win, Gunn said Tuesday he bought an $8 lottery ticket, letting the machine pick the numbers.

As I said in another thread some say Quick Picks are for lazy players but

there sure are a lot of "lazy" players winning!! lol

And sometimes end up as a failure.................

Only the government could create a "lazy winner"............ lol.

I think they said QP players are never winners....................

I agree, who really needs 2 new jeeps right of the bat ?

Don't mis-understand, it's his $ to do as he wishes, but it's not that much.

Congratulations to the lucky winner. His story sends out a gleamer of hope for others in similar situations. For every winner like him there are probably a million others who spent a portion of what little they had left in their budget on lottery tickets. 99.99% of the time the results aren't quite life changing like Mr Gunn. This gentleman definitely needs to sit down with a financial advisor to figure out a game plan for his funds before it all disappears.

RE:  The QP debate

Quick picks are just numbers.  When you play any game, numbers are chosen.  Period.  The odds don't change whether you pick them or a computer picks them.  Quick picks win so frequently because more than 75% of all tickets sold are quick picks.  For games like PB and MM it is probably higher than other games.  Most people I know who play pick-3 and pick-4 games usually choose their own numbers.  However, I've stood in many lines when the player in front of me said to the clerk "Give me 2 tickets for tonight." Half of them don't even say Powerball or Lotto.  Sometimes I hear the clerk ask and the player doesn't even know.   "You know, the one with the big jackpot."   Even regular players who fill out cards (like me) will add a quick pick or 2 from time to time.

After winning, people always say "I just had a feeling."   I mean, each time you buy tickets, don't you have a feeling you'll win?  Why else would you buy them in the first place? In this case, the man was very, very lucky.  When I hear that the winner just had "One of those feelings," I chuckle, since losers never say "I had a feeling I was going to lose."