Are you ready for the attention?

Reply #184

AlecWest — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 09:13:40 GMT

Oh, well, the dream is over (for now) unless you happen to be one of the three lucky winners. Three people split the Powerball jackpot - one in California, one in Tennessee, and one in Florida.

Reply #183

lejardin — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 01:05:59 GMT

Israel is another place I would have loved to visit. No, no bets, I think we both know the ending on that one.

Reply #182

AlecWest — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 23:19:12 GMT

Yup. If I really had a death wish, I'd fly to Israel and wear a trenchcoat into the Palestinian territory. Once beyond the border gate, I'd remove the trenchcoat to reveal a tee-shirt with a big blue Star of David on one side and the words ZIONISM FOREVER on the other side ... walking down the main street singing Hava Nagila (grin). Any bets on how long I'd last, hehehe (he asked, setting his pocket egg-timer

Reply #181

lejardin — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 22:45:32 GMT

That would be quite the excursion but going into Turkey........I have my druthers.

Isis paranoia, exactly what THEY want for Americans if they can't kill us.

Reply #180

AlecWest — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 21:29:59 GMT

All things considered, China's plan has merit. If ISIS, al Queda, or the Taliban mess with the U.S.A., we'd form Congressional committees to discuss options. But if they messed with China? Somehow, I don't think of China as a country that would adhere to the Marquess of Queensberry rules (grin). And if China decided to take direct action against terrorists, who would stop them (or want to stop them

Reply #179

BuyLow — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 20:43:43 GMT

Maybe they could plant poppy fields on both sides of the tracks and let the US Military guard it (the poppys and by default tracks). Ahem....I digress

Reply #178

MaximumMillions — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 20:37:29 GMT

obviously ISIS are a danger, but us homegrown terrorists are a bigger threat to us americans right now. Geographially speaking.

Did you read about China's plan for a high speed train from Berlin to Beijing? Slight caveat: routing right through Afghanistan.

Reply #177

AlecWest — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 20:10:56 GMT

Hehehe. Assuming I could get over my ISIS paranoia, this would be my dream trip on the Orient Express.

Reply #176

MaximumMillions — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 18:27:34 GMT

Generalizations are always fun.

Reply #175

lejardin — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 18:18:11 GMT

Thanks Drenick1, you just confirmed what I was thinking. These refugees are creating havoc wherever they end up, and I think Merkel is destroying Germany. I feel for the regular citizens. Found out we have some syrians here and I was told they are NOT nice and are VERY demanding. I have yet to hear anything on the local news and probably never will.

The United States has so many wonderful places I have yet to visit. Besides being a homebody, I would travel right here in America when and if I

Reply #174

Drenick1 — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 14:00:09 GMT

I have a close friend who resides in Germany with her husband and the media is covering up many of the attacks due to orders from law enforcement. My friend has personally been harassed by a group of middle eastern guys and was able to get away by seeking shelter in a hotel lobby. I would not recommend any female visiting any of the country that took a large influx of refugees. The same scenario is happening in many other countries including France and Great Britain which WAS one of the countrie... [ More ]

Reply #173

lejardin — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 17:06:53 GMT

Teddi I swear it is a toss up who is worse you or me lol.

Making plans and then cant think of a good enough reason to call it off. That is sooo me lol. Cant use any more failed body parts as an excuse is hysterical.

My place of choice is home but I win, it would FORCE me to do things out of my comfort level at least for a period of time.

Reply #172

lejardin — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 16:56:25 GMT

Some great comments on here. I would not use any forwarding mail, and dont WANT any mail, whatever bills can be paid online or by 50 cent stamp. When that money hits my account, I am outta here. If the heat gets too much to bear I will get an advance from my bank and adios amigos! Germany is a place I would love to visit but now they have that major Syrian issue and it is a BIG problem for the country. The QE would be great! BUT the Orient Express.....THAT WOULD BE MY CHOICE, I LOVE THE TRAIN. T... [ More ]

Reply #171

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:59:23 GMT

Teddi --- BTW, I don't think the quoted fares for the QE are per night - I think it's for the whole cruise. Unless I'm mistaken, a $34,000 Club Balcony suite works out to $361.70 per night for 94 nights. If it was $34,000 per night, that would be $3,196,000 for the cruise. If that's the case, I'd probably take a pass on the cruise - and just fly to Europe, staying at a nice hotel in Montenegro (grin).

Reply #170

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:20:52 GMT

(wink) (nod

Reply #169

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:19:16 GMT

Wisdom comes in all forms and inspirations.

Only those lacking open-mindedness and who censor their inner guides would put limitations on how the universe chooses to bestow knowledge and understanding on us.

And that'll be the exact BS I'll spout while I'm ogling the uber-rich at the Monaco Yacht Show.

Reply #168

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:06:24 GMT

Hehehe, I don't think people would believe it, though - especially if I told them that the next place I'd be searching for knowledge wisdom were the in casinos of Montenegro.

Reply #167

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:03:03 GMT

ROFLMAO. I actually think that that's a perfect way to phrase it. Plus it would be the absolute truth.

So of course now I'm checking out all the available trips and their prices (because I'm insanely anal...err, moderately curious), and you know what I'm being struck by? How many of the super expensive cabins sold out.

Are there that many people who can afford $25,000 to $80,000 per night, for 30 - 90 days?

I'm apparently in the wrong line of work.

Reply #166

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:01:23 GMT

If I took that QE cruise to Hamburg, I'd only tell 3 people - me, myself, I. And when I got to Hamburg, I certainly wouldn't be tempted to tell people how I got there. I'd treat it kind-of like the missing years of Jesus (grin) - saying I was just wandering the Earth, searching for knowledge wisdom.

Reply #165

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:54:51 GMT

If you've ever watched Keeping Up Appearances you know that that's a must do for Hyacinth. The only reason she had her mail forwarded was so the postman would know she was going on the QE2. If I remember correctly she also told her electric company, phone company and every possible person within a 10 mile radius.

She has to make a point of writing or calling from whatever so-called exotic destination she's at. She'll write and call people she doesn't even like, just to be sure they know and c... [ More ]

Reply #164

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:48:14 GMT

Oops, sorry. I was trying to respond to Alec's post and hit yours.

I'd heard about the Four Seasons jet but I'd thought it was still in the production stage. Didn't realize it was set to go. Something to consider for sure...after a trip on the QE...and a ride on the Orient Express. I don't care much for trains, but as a big fan of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot, I feel it's a must do before some idiot blows it up.

So far I've lost 2 of my bucket list destinations to ISIS. Gotta pack th... [ More ]

Reply #163

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:46:34 GMT

Well, the purpose of getting the mail forwarded isn't so you can read it (grin). Most of the mail you'd get is mail you wouldn't want to read anyway. The purpose is so you could write back to them - showing a letter postmarked in a foreign country - and suggesting it isn't the last foreign country you'd be visiting on your extended vacation. It would be a polite way of saying don't bother me, you'll get nowhere.

Reply #162

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:37:34 GMT

Don't know how many people have ever watched the British comedy Keeping Up Appearances.

Hyacinth on the QE2 was one of my faves and I will be annoying everyone about being on it just like she did. But speaking of getting mail forwarded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d72aEBhrTo8

Well, maybe not. Since I want to be incognito and won't want the pomp and circumstance she insists on every time she goes away for more than a day.

Reply #161

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:58:54 GMT

Well, somebody had to think of it (grin). Seriously though, the best way to get away from the maddening (or madding) crowd is to take a road trip (even if it's by bus, rail, air or sea) immediately after winning. The catch?

Don't tell anybody about it !!!

Just go, hehe. You might want to tell the Post Office to forward your mail to a mail forwarding service in Oregon - asking them to hold your mail for you until the QE docked in Germany. When you finally get to Hamburg and check into a hot... [ More ]

Reply #160

Spidey2011 — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:34:44 GMT

Oh yeah, I'm ready. Gonna split the annuity with one other person and then immediately invest 4-5mil in CD's to earn a decent return my first year. After that I'll probably invest more aggressively with the future payments, while living off the interest from the first year's. So sorry to all the beggars, but its all tied up right now.

I would also quickly invest in some acreage and surround a medium sized home (top of the line security system, of course) with an electric razorwire fence... [ More ]

Reply #159

MaximumMillions — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:21:46 GMT

Don't know if its the QE, couldn't find it quickly. But it exists, I'm sure.

Reply #158

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:12:38 GMT

Are you kidding me???? I have ALWAYS wanted to take a trip on the QE. I can't believe I didn't think of this. If I'm not in court with my coworkers haggling about the money, I am definitely doing this

Reply #157

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 01:09:34 GMT

I got a touch of lotto fever today but that didn't last long. I have a feeling that if my work pool wins we'll be one of those groups that'll be in court for the next 5 years.

We made a last minute, impromptu pool on Friday. 9 of us, 30 tickets (still don't know how that math worked out but whatever).

Found out this morning that we just about tripled our money. That's where the touch of lotto fever kicked in. Everyone decided to roll everything over and buy more tickets. I thought, since... [ More ]

Reply #156

MaximumMillions — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:59:47 GMT

I forgot which cruise company, bt I think there is also a cruise that goes for 180 days. Might be a little long though. Maybe a Four Seasons Flight safari?

http://www.fourseasons.com/aroundtheworld/ And no riff-raff

Reply #155

Teddi — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:44:41 GMT

LMAO

That's the best compliment (I hope) that I've received today.

The thing is, I'm a homebody. There are few things which annoy me more than being home and have to go out for any reason. Worse is when I've made plans and can't think of a good enough reason to call it off. I've claimed illness so many times I don't have a body part left I can convincingly use as a scapegoat.

Give me a Kindle with my fave authors and a good Chinese place that delivers and I'm in hog heaven.... [ More ]

Reply #154

Guru101 — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:20:58 GMT

Yes, as a matter of fact, I will be the sole winner on Wednesday.

Reply #153

AlecWest — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:13:38 GMT

Assuming you could get your money before February 4th, you wouldn't need a bunker or a safe-room ... at least not for 94 days ... if you booked yourself on the Queen Elizabeth for this cruise from San Francisco to Hamburg, Germany (grin). As of now, there are still two Club Balcony suites left for only $33,000 + change. And heck, before you flew back from Germany, you might want to see the sights in Hamburg for, say, a month or two.

(Note to self ... get passport ASAP, hehe.

Reply #152

lejardin — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 21:15:29 GMT

Again thank you SirBrad for the book recommendation, I love reading and the lottery, what a winning combo (besides the actual game win lol).

Lucky you for self-employed and also bank experience, exactly what would be needed for a win.

You asked if I was prepared......actually? Yes I am, I have food etc. in case of emergencies etc. No safe room yet but with a win, I will say that will be on my to do list.

Reply #151

sirbrad — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 09:19:22 GMT

There would be A LOT of mad and disappointed people if the winner of the world's largest jackpot remained anonymous, including myself. Unless I won but of course my state does not allow it anyway. There would also be a lot of skeptics and something the Lottery would not want. Weird thing is I would want to take credit for and have that place in history and at the same time not be known. Guess you really can't have your cake and eat it too.

Reply #150

sirbrad — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:47:58 GMT

So do you got a lotto bunker prepped for about a year's worth of living? I won't be hiding from anyone I will stand stall and proud and just get the media over with so I am not hassled for years. Just one and done.

Reply #149

sirbrad — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:45:05 GMT

I also recommend the book Infinite Financial Freedom - What To Do Before and After You Win the Lottery It is from 1994 but most of the information is still relevant. But you also don;t want to get too complicated or your win will end up a huge burden. With this amount of money I would never spend all the principle anyway, but if I wanted I could invest in tax free Government bonds or high yield bonds etc. But honestly after the first year I would be set as I am well prepared. I used to work at a... [ More ]

Reply #148

sirbrad — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:12:44 GMT

You can also see the annuity break down here and full payment schedule.

https://www.usamega.com/powerball-jackpot.asp

Reply #147

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 07:03:18 GMT

Good. I hope the Powerball site webmaster fixes the erroneous page showing 4%. If they don't, it isn't because they weren't informed.

Reply #146

KY Floyd — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 06:52:17 GMT

You can find an annuity schedule (for the last drawing, but it's easy enough to adjust in a spreadsheet), along with some other interesting info on the TX lottery website. It agrees with the 5% annual increase, with the related math checking out.

http://www.txlottery.org/export/sites/lottery/Documents/jackpotestimates/pb20160109.pdf

Reply #145

Stuffy — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 06:11:33 GMT

Being in Kansas I would claim anonymously, but seeing as how there have only been 11 jackpot winners since Powerball started here in 1989 I won't hold my breath that my 1 little ticket will win the big one. I can say I at least managed to win $100 back in 2014. It is fun to day dream about winning and being able to live financially secure.

Reply #144

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 06:06:47 GMT

Go for it (the Dave Ramsey course). There's no such thing as too much financial planning knowledge.

Reply #143

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 06:03:17 GMT

Thanks. It is (and always has been) a work in progress. Interestingly, over the last 10 years, the site only had roughly 26,000 visitors. But over the last week, 9,000 more visitors showed up. Somebody must have mentioned it to a few people causing this snowball of visitors.

I've pretty much decided that, if I was the sole winner, I'd take the annuity. According to my state's graduated payment table, my first check would only be $19,566,866 (pre-tax). Their after taxes amount only reflects th... [ More ]

Reply #142

lejardin — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:59:55 GMT

Lol I wouldnt be a boring person to follow around because they wouldnt see me out and about hahahaha, hibernate ring a bell?

Money management readjustments absolutely, who thot we would see these amounts? It is really crazy. There are so many unscrupulous people out there with a line of bs, how you protect yourself is questionnable at best. As for cuban etc., they want something I dont and I will do whatever it takes to avoid and that is fame. I will be in self imposed isolation, that will s... [ More ]

Reply #141

lejardin — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:42:20 GMT

Hi Alec, thank you for your website, I have already been there and read it. Lot of excellent information. I have thought about volunteering at a credit union etc. to gain experience and see the angle from the financial side, specifically CDARS investing but the key word is overwhelming . The idea of doing so when winning a part of a record breaking amount of money is out of the question right off.

Now that I thought about and ironically, I just signed up today through my church to take Dave

Reply #140

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:17:38 GMT

Interesting. One Powerball site page that says 4% and another that says 5%. I wonder which page is correct - and I wonder which percentage the graduated payment pages use. Their webmaster obviously doesn't know that he's published conflicting info on the site. I just sent an email to them (c/o their webmaster) to see which is correct and which is not. I also asked which percentage was used on the graduated payment pages showing payments over the 29 years - state by state. I hope he doesn't have... [ More ]

Reply #139

Romancandle — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:07:53 GMT

Based on some of your responses Teddi, something tells me you would NOT be a boring person for the press

AlecWest, Great webpage... looks like a lot of work went into that.

Learning how to be a financial planner while concurrently dealing with a billion $ jackpot windfall would be challenging for most folks.

Reply #138

tg636 — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:06:37 GMT

I would say: I am not ready for it and probably no one really is. But I am getting a few tickets anyway. All I (and probably many people) want is to have say $5 million to be able to quit work, have a nice house, be able to travel and have some fun and get some nice things and help a few friends. I think I could deal with the money, assuming I had good lawyers and investment people to keep it safe; that would be figures on a screen and sort of abstract to me. What would be hard to deal with woul... [ More ]

Reply #137

Teddi — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 04:57:39 GMT

For a few minutes I did think maybe I wouldn't want to be the sole winner of a jackpot this size. I'd be a very boring person to follow around for the first few months so while reporters might tire of me, who knows who will come sliding out of the woodwork to get their 15 minutes at my expense.

Plus, how I'd planned to manage the money would need massive readjustments because this is more than I ever considered.

But then I realized that this is about the same amount Mark Cuban got from se... [ More ]

Reply #136

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 04:03:59 GMT

lejardin --- I agree with you about the too much money part. I've always felt that too much money in the hands of one person is obscene. My goodness, there are 3rd world countries that don't have billion dollar budgets. I once joked about security software entrepreneur, John McAfee, who was accused of murder while he was living in Belize ... suggesting that McAfee was so rich, he could hire mercenaries to take over Belize and install himself as absolute dictator. Fortunately, I think he's probab... [ More ]

Reply #135

ArizonaDream — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 04:03:05 GMT

I found the page that says 5% http://www.powerball.com/powerball/pb_howtoplay.asp

(pb graduated annuity

Reply #134

lejardin — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 03:38:11 GMT

Ooops, my post didnt reply to you Teddi....

Well although I agree, I have another committal to a split. Even with a split, it is just too much money for one person, I admit I would be overwhelmed and unprepared to deal with it all. That team of advisers would be a necessity . But I can assure you I will be out of the media, and a good thing I like myself because I can be alone lol, just me, my security system, self protection and my Doberman Pinscher aka toy poodle.

I already had to eat my... [ More ]

Reply #133

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 03:32:24 GMT

Thanks, I appreciate the info. But between you and me, I like my home state's page better because (grin) my state has no state income tax - https://www.usamega.com/powerball-jackpot-annuity.asp?state=WA

However, in both cases, they used current tax rates. What future tax rates may be, Federal or state, is a bugger. I really pity people who live in areas with county, city, and metropolitan service district income taxes. I used to live in one of those areas (Multnomah County, Oregon) until the... [ More ]

Reply #132

Murgatroyd — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 03:22:42 GMT

You're right. I forgot that PB's annual increase is less than MM's 5%.

Is there a page that shows an example of the graduated scale from first payment to last payment?

Here's one for my home state: https://www.usamega.com/powerball-jackpot-annuity.asp?state=AZ

Reply #131

ArizonaDream — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 03:20:22 GMT

It changed from 4% to 5%, I'm not sure when.

https://www.usamega.com/mega-millions-jackpot.asp Click the schedule link for your state

Reply #130

AlecWest — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 03:10:37 GMT

Yup, averages. But the annuity increases only 4% per year according to the Powerball Letters and Answers page. Is there a page that shows an example of the graduated scale from first payment to last payment

Reply #129

Murgatroyd — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 23:38:55 GMT

What you've got there is the average annuity payment. It's actually more complicated than that. The first payment is about 19.5 million, or a bit under 12 million after federal taxes. It increases by 5% each year, until the final payment of about 80.5 million, or a bit under 49 million after taxes.

Reply #128

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:29:02 GMT

Hehehe, not even close.

Reply #127

MaximumMillions — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:27:49 GMT

Just don't use Ketchup

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/german-woman-used-tomato-ketchup-to-fake-her-own-death-10349924.html

Reply #126

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:26:11 GMT

Let me ??? No. But I have a surefire method to use in my specific circumstances that will protect my anonymity. But, hehe, I won't mention that method here (or on my site) because it's a personal secret (grin). I'll give you a hint, though. It's a variation of something I do mention on my site.

One note. If LuckyYou.alecwest.com ever goes down, I've either used the method or died ... whichever comes first.

Reply #125

Teddi — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:23:20 GMT

Okay, Lejardin. This is the jackpot we've been waiting for. We both need to split this one and whoever stays out of the media the longest wins! You know I already have your consolation prize and you can pick out the hotplate of your dreams. The win is mine along with my La Cornue.

Do you realize that whoever wins this jackpot could buy Stone Mansion and not even miss the money? I didn't think we'd ever see a CV high enough to buy it AND afford the taxes and upkeep. But we're at that point.... [ More ]

Reply #124

MaximumMillions — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:22:00 GMT

Imagine it's a single winner and he or she doesn't pick up the winnings because they can't say anonymous or can but are scared of being found out about and the consequences.

Reply #123

travelintrucker — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:01:46 GMT

If there's a sole winner, do you honestly think they will let you remain anonymous

Reply #122

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 14:43:18 GMT

Just in case anyone's curious, I did the math on the Powerball jackpot assuming it stays at $1.3 billion. On the lump-sum payout, I'm using the 57.5% figure as the amount of money a winner would get, pre-tax. And on taxes, I'm using the current tax rate for a single person (as published in this Forbes Magazine article).

$451,369,470.25 --- lump-sum, after all Federal taxes

$26,052,803.58 ---- yearly annuity payments (30), after all Federal taxes using the current tax rates

I... [ More ]

Reply #121

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 14:09:35 GMT

Love it, hehehe. FWIW, I saw a lottery winner horror story on TV once when I was traveling in Canada. Canadian lottery winners are allowed to remain anonymous. But one lady lottery winner made the mistake of telling a few close friends. Someone who knew her number gave her a call - saying that if she didn't pay him a large amount of money, he couldn't guarantee the health of her sister her sister's children. The RCMP never found the person who made the call. And the lady moved herself (and her s... [ More ]

Reply #120

KY Floyd — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 13:48:04 GMT

the lottery winner could be kidnapped but that would be a little short-sighted on the kidnapper's part.

I can imagine it going something like this:

ring ring Hello?

We've got your uncle. We want $10 million.

My uncle? Which uncle?

Which uncle do you think? Your uncle the lottery winner. Give us $10 million and we'll release him unharmed.

What if I don't give you $10 million?

We'll kill him.

I'm in the will. Thanks so very much. click

Reply #119

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:56:47 GMT

When I did my own name change back in 1992 (in Washington state), the petition notice only showed up in the Columbian newspaper for one week and then disappeared. And when the name change was approved, there was no notice at all. But that makes sense. The reason the petition notice is published - and why it takes about 90 days to approve a name change - is because the court wants to give the public (by reading about it in the legal section of the classifieds) a chance to challenge the petition f... [ More ]

Reply #118

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:41:54 GMT

Hehehe. Many years ago when the Washington State Lottery Commission first offered its state lotto game, some guy won a modest jackpot. Apparently worried about media attention, he showed up at the regional lottery office in Vancouver, Washington (just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon) wearing a gorilla costume (grin). And while he was standing in front of the customer service window redeeming his ticket, one of the media people reached out and tried to remove his gorilla mask. The... [ More ]

Reply #117

MaximumMillions — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:10:11 GMT

What I get from this is it would be smartest to file your name change ~80 days before your planned win claim date so shortly after claiming your name is changed and the newspaper ad has run out. How long do the ads have to appear? Once a week

Reply #116

OldSchoolPa — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 10:16:26 GMT

When I win on Wednesday, I will show up wearing hilarious disguise. I will claim it in a trust. However, I won't be a true billionaire since the $1.3 billion is a 26 year annuity and even if the cash value hits $1 billion, Uncle Sam Obama will take 35 percent cut for doing nothing for me.

Reply #115

lakerben — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 07:36:41 GMT

I imagine 4 tickets will hit on the next draw. It will be divided up. No drama. I'll be spending like no tomorrow.

Reply #114

Teddi — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 07:31:05 GMT

Bud Post actually had multiple attempts on his life. The hitman who got cold feet seems to be the only one that made news. Bud had one of his car messed with in the hopes that he'd be killed in an accident, and he also was given cyanide.

The delay in Dampier's case was simply because he never advertised the fact that he was a lottery winner and I'm sure that had his sister-in-law not moved in with him, he'd be alive today.

I agree Dampier's situation should be counted as a kidnapping, beca... [ More ]

Reply #113

AlecWest — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 04:01:29 GMT

Teddi --- Yup. Almost every kidnapping involves an attempt to acquire money. In 2005, $20,000,000 lottery winner Jeffrey Dampier was kidnapped and murdered by his sister-in-law her boyfriend. In 1989, the brother of $16,200,000 lottery winner, William Post, hired a hit-man to kill him ... in hopes that he'd inherit part of his brother's jackpot. Post didn't get killed but probably wished he had been killed. He's an example of a universally stupid winner who lived large and flaunted his wealth. H... [ More ]

Reply #112

Teddi — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 05:17:50 GMT

The problem with your premise, Mike, is that you're assuming it'll be smart people kidnapping you. Lot of really stupid criminals out there. Remember the Exxon exec who got kidnapped from his driveway? His kidnappers were too stupid to realize that when you lock someone up in a box for 3 days, it's necessary to drill holes in it so the victim can breathe.

The truth is that kidnappings do in fact happen all the time in the US, but for some reason the media prefers to use words like abducted,... [ More ]

Reply #111

AlecWest — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 04:25:41 GMT

Exactly. It no longer exists in the it'll never happen realm. It exists in the maybe realm.

Reply #110

mikeintexas — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 04:22:59 GMT

Sorry, my crystal ball is broken.

Reply #109

AlecWest — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 04:15:44 GMT

Could a billion dollar jackpot possibly alter the chances of being kidnapped

Reply #108

mikeintexas — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 02:58:59 GMT

I like that quote - as valid today as it was a couple of centuries ago.

Kidnapping would be the very least of my worries; I have no children and my sisters and their children have different last names than mine. Someone brought up that the lottery winner could be kidnapped but that would be a little short-sighted on the kidnapper's part. Would you take a check, Mr. Kidnapper? I don't have a million on me at the moment. Mine is a unique case, I'll admit and if I DID have kids, I'd certainly... [ More ]

Reply #107

AlecWest — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 02:49:21 GMT

Yup, name change requests get published in a newspaper. But remember, they're published approximately 90 days BEFORE the name change order is approved. Until it is approved, no one would know why a person is changing their name - unless the winner bragged to people about it. Until a winner redeems a ticket, and assuming the winner keeps their mouth shut about winning, a person changing their name is a nobody insofar as the media is concerned. Also keep in mind that legal name change requests are... [ More ]

Reply #106

nist7seven — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 02:42:51 GMT

Yeah the money will be great but the attention will be the worst part. Every person who has any story/connection to you will be asking for a handout.

I wish you could just claim it via a LLC you setup and claim it in person by an attorney-representative...remaining anonymous would be great

Reply #105

travelintrucker — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 02:38:17 GMT

I came across your website awhile back. It's interesting. The problem with changing your name is, it gets published in the news paper. I try to buy my tickets in SC where I can remain anonymous. However, if there's a sole winner from any anonymous state, or state that allows trusts, LLCs, I don't think they'll allow it. There will to big of a public out cry and politicians may even get involved. If there's a sole winner for this big jackpot, it'd be best to just take one for the team. I'd use a... [ More ]

Reply #104

AlecWest — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 01:34:08 GMT

I liked that 1996 Mel Gibson movie, too ( Ransom ). But it might not be necessary to go that far. It's easier to avoid attention than most people think. Click on my username to see my profile page. The page gives a link to my Lucky You site dedicated to lottery winners who want to remain anonymous. It's been online for over 10 years (really).

Reply #103

Murgatroyd — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 23:47:26 GMT

Make it clear at the press conference that while you will not pay ransom, you are perfectly willing to spend every cent of your winnings to hunt down the kidnappers.

Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.

Reply #102

lcoleman — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 23:06:51 GMT

Yea man you should thank the kidnapper ... that's one less mouth to feed hahah wow this guy.

Reply #101

dk1421 — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 14:19:11 GMT

If people ask why you changed your name:

We're not doing it for the money.....we are doing it for a sh*tload of money! (Spaceballs the movie

Reply #100

One-Day — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 19:56:40 GMT

Sole winner. Not shared. I already have my plan and everything to claim it. Makeover girl picked out and everything. She will make me look like Richard Simmons. Shorts and everything we gone looking for that dam Jack stud. I'll be gay, energetic and originally from San Francisco when claiming that pot. That after changing my name to John Smith OR Jose Gonzales, both very common names.

Reply #99

HoLeeKau — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 17:32:29 GMT

Taking a swipe at those who have been negative to you wouldn't be worth it imo.

I agree. I wouldn't waste my time or emotional energy on payback. I'd just wipe them out of my life and my memory and get on with living my wonderfully happy wealthy life.

Reply #98

Drenick1 — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:40:10 GMT

That issue should definitely be addressed but you need to first win a sizable jackpot before worrying about something that is bound to drive you crazy. In the meantime it's always nice to dream.

Reply #97

music* — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 11:46:10 GMT

You might fear the ordinary criminals but the real crooks dress in suits and ties. Be careful.

Reply #96

Romancandle — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 00:41:26 GMT

Ha Ha Good ethical lawyer... just like finding an honest crook...

I'll be on my unicorn at the press conference while accepting my oversized check

Reply #95

Romancandle — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 00:38:17 GMT

I second that...

Reply #94

crazyjaney — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 22:17:04 GMT

Oh and I would do something completely ridiculous for my press conference... Like dress up in a disguise or costume in character or something equally silly. I'm a terrible actress but I'd give it a go and try to act in character. My family will not be in attendance To protect their identities. Lol

Reply #93

crazyjaney — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 22:06:45 GMT

Taking a swipe at those who have been negative to you wouldn't be worth it imo. All those negative people would want a piece of your pie now. Lol. Also it would be very bad karma to take such a wonderful positive blessing and spoil it with thoughts like that IMO. I would try to be as quiet as possible and wish blessings on all of those negative people and be very thankful :-)

that being said, safety is the issue

Security would be Paramount. Not even the money but safety. Of course the kid... [ More ]

Reply #92

Elizabeth03 — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:03:37 GMT

If i won alot of money, I'd finally be able to move and buy a house; get a vehicle, and help people and animal's.. I would love it

Reply #91

Teddi — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 01:09:09 GMT

Good AND ethical lawyer? That's as rare as a unicorn. Choose a good lawyer or choose an ethical one. We might despise those lawyers who seem to be amoral, but they're the ones who go to the mat for their clients and keep slightly less amoral lawyers from taking you for everything you have. Think of them as the bad bacteria that live in your body that keep other bacteria from moving in and killing you.

Reply #90

Tialuvslotto — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 12:37:04 GMT

Perfect! I love it

Reply #89

realtorjim — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 02:08:53 GMT

Yes, I am the winner. First and foremost, I would like everyone to know, I loathe the bureaucracy that has mandated this press conference be held. I also am disappointed in the media who has disclosed the location of my home, and required me to flee for the safety of my family. Now for questions:

That question can be answered from a previous interview with Todd Northrop. Please go to lotterypost.com for the answer. Next question...

That question can be answered from a previous interview wi... [ More ]

Reply #88

myturn — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 22:34:33 GMT

Hopefully, by then, state lotteries will allow winners to remain anonymous. But, if not, I would try to claim through a trust. Firstly, I would hire a good, ethical lawyer and find out what my options are. If I couldn't avoid publicity, I would certainly keep it too a minimum.

Reply #87

whiteballz — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 22:05:31 GMT

I'll take a billion dollar jackpot and everything that comes with it, good and bad. Just let me win.

Reply #86

KY Floyd — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 08:23:32 GMT

The only way one could become a billionaire by winning the lottery is if the jackpot exceeded $4 billion! through a series of unlikely events.

There, I fixed it for you. Depending on the state they live in a winner could net as much as 36.6%. In that case it would take an advertised jackpot of only about $2.73 billion to result in a net of $1 billion. It would also require being the only winner. I have no idea how many tickets would be sold if they advertise a jackpot of $1 billion, but it w... [ More ]

Reply #85

Teddi — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 15:23:53 GMT

But that's the point, isn't it? Every layperson will believe the hype. Every radio show and tv station and the MUSL especially will be hyping it up as the billion dollar jackpot. Even for those who actually know that the take home amount will be nowhere near a billion dollars will still know it's the largest jackpot in US history and that'll be enough to get the buzzards circling around whoever wins, and they will be known as the billion dollar jackpot winner. Everything to do with the US lotter... [ More ]