News ConferencePrev Topic Next Topic

New Topic New Poll

Would you hold a news conference if you won the jackpot and couldn't remain anonymous?

YES, I would want my 15 minutes of fame

[ 8 ]

[ 10.7% ]

NO, I would just claim the prize and stay hidden

[ 67 ]

[ 89.3% ]

Total valid votes

[ 75 ]

Discarded votes

[ 2 ]

rundown99

United States
Member #567
August 14, 2002
526 Posts
Offline

Jan 29, 2009, 10:14 am

Let's face it. Most states require that your name be made public if you win the powerball/mega millions jackpot. Some states allow winners to remain anonymous, but most states want the winner's name to be made public so that the general public can be assured that the prize is being sent to a real person. Would you want the 15 minutes of fame or would you quietly claim the prize? Before you make your selection, remember what happened to David Edwards after 2001 and what happened to Jack Whittaker after 2002. But also remember that if you show your face to the public, the public can be assured that YOU are the winner and not some other greedy family member or relative. If you hold the news conference, then the greedy family members and relatives may not take any action against you for fear of being exposed by the press.
Kidzmom

NC
United States
Member #11,741
February 23, 2005
1,234 Posts
Offline

Jan 29, 2009, 3:54 pm

Claim it in a trust....Let's face it, who in the world would want people camped outside your house begging for money and putting your family's life in danger? In this wonderful state of NC-depending on what county you live in, all someone has to do is know your full name and type it into the tax office website of that county and low and behold, your name and property address appears.....if that's not enough for you....then how about they even have photos of your house online on that tax website. I know Wake and Durham county has photos of your homes......so no I would not want to be known.

Be kind to a stranger because you never know when you are talking to an angel.

KZM
myturn

Bondi Junction
Australia
Member #57,240
December 24, 2007
1,102 Posts
Offline

Jan 29, 2009, 11:00 pm

That is what I like about the UK National Lottery and the New South Wales Lotteries, winners are allowed to remain anonymous.

It is very rare for a news conference here in Sydney. The lottery release information, such as the area the ticket was bought, if the winner was registered and a little about them; such "a grandmother", "a retired garbage collector". But they never release the name and it's not regarded as public information. Most people respect their right to privacy and feel "if it was me I wouldn't want everybody knowing".
diamondpalace

United States
Member #60,282
April 12, 2008
3,857 Posts
Offline

Jan 30, 2009, 1:59 am

Fame have its price...all for what really? To show off? That to get others wanting what you have and go after it. That will leave a normal mind become paranoid. Hehe. Unless of course you get 30 bodyguards with you at all times, and few snipers in position to cover the range that the bodyguards can't reach. :)

Some states require giving full name for the record. I know GA requires it. If this is the case, I am going CIA & FBI style.
MaddMike51

United States
Member #58,526
February 18, 2008
710 Posts
Offline

Jan 30, 2009, 5:28 pm

Quote: Originally posted by diamondpalace on Jan 30, 2009
Fame have its price...all for what really? To show off? That to get others wanting what you have and go after it. That will leave a normal mind become paranoid. Hehe. Unless of course you get 30 bodyguards with you at all times, and few snipers in position to cover the range that the bodyguards can't reach. :)

Some states require giving full name for the record. I know GA requires it. If this is the case, I am going CIA & FBI style.

Since my state requires the news conference, I would just comb my exceptionaly long hair over my face and put on a pair of sunglasses to hold my hair in place and pretend that I'm "Cousin It" from the Adams Family.After the news conference is over I'll just duck into the nearest barber shop and come out looking like someone else.
justxploring

Wandering Aimlessly
United States
Member #25,359
November 5, 2005
4,461 Posts
Offline

Jan 30, 2009, 6:13 pm

Absolutely not. I notice that the Florida Lottery has recently begun to post articles about Fantasy-5 and scratch-off winners, something they rarely did before. A man won $50,000 in my area and there was a story about him in the newspaper. When you go to the FL site, the first thing you see is a big picture of a Palm Beach couple, who won a million playing Powerball, holding that gigantic check. Every single person who has been to the site has seen their photo. So even before you started this thread, I wondered "Why would anyone want to be front page news?"
ambelamba

Entertaiment Capital
United States
Member #37,799
April 19, 2006
302 Posts
Offline

Jan 31, 2009, 4:09 am

I am glad that hundreds of people in LA county area share the same first and last name with me. There's no way I will have a news conference. I will make my identity as obscure as possible. Surely, I would give my SSN to the lottery office (for tax reason) but there's a good reason to hire a lawyer in case the lottery commision leak my information. I can sue the hell out of CA lottery commision if someone in the office leak my info.

And I am not gonna allow any camera on the day I pick up the check.
aberdeennut

United Kingdom
Member #67,317
November 23, 2008
227 Posts
Offline

Jan 31, 2009, 8:52 am

Quote: Originally posted by myturn on Jan 29, 2009
That is what I like about the UK National Lottery and the New South Wales Lotteries, winners are allowed to remain anonymous.

It is very rare for a news conference here in Sydney. The lottery release information, such as the area the ticket was bought, if the winner was registered and a little about them; such "a grandmother", "a retired garbage collector". But they never release the name and it's not regarded as public information. Most people respect their right to privacy and feel "if it was me I wouldn't want everybody knowing".

Yep and that is why I am lucky, privacy is everything in the UK.

Kind Regards everyone,

aberdeennut.....
KY Floyd

NY
United States
Member #23,834
October 16, 2005
4,771 Posts
Offline

Feb 1, 2009, 4:49 am

"I can sue the hell out of CA lottery commision if someone in the office leak my info."

Well, you can sue them, but suing the hell out of them implies winning. When you hire your lawyer he can give you the bad news about your chance of success.

" And I am not gonna allow any camera on the day I pick up the check."

Whether or not photography is allowed in a private place is up to the owners of that private place. Unless you can arrange to claim your winnings in a place that you own, it's not going to be your decision. On the positive side, I don't think they can require you to hold the giant check, and they definitely can't make you smile.
dingo

San Jose, California
United States
Member #42,002
June 26, 2006
206 Posts
Offline

Feb 2, 2009, 1:11 am

Sailing in bigger ships, we will see bigger waves.

I like news conference so I can express my emotion, but I don't want many people come to bother me after a lottery winning. Thus, I choose to stay humble, collect the check in silent because the silent is weighted in gold.
Bagent

Vancouver, WA
United States
Member #53,663
July 15, 2007
151 Posts
Offline

Feb 2, 2009, 4:48 am

I opted to go with "No, claim prize and stay hidden" I know that it is unlikely to be able to actually do that, but that is the plan. I would likely claim the winnings via a trust in a vane attempt to conceal my identity.
justxploring

Wandering Aimlessly
United States
Member #25,359
November 5, 2005
4,461 Posts
Offline

Feb 3, 2009, 1:44 am

To add to my above post, now they are putting at the top of each press release

"Photos of winners available upon request."
Halle99

United States
United States
Member #68,250
December 16, 2008
168 Posts
Offline

Feb 4, 2009, 4:45 am

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Feb 3, 2009
To add to my above post, now they are putting at the top of each press release

"Photos of winners available upon request."

That is crazy.

I am definitely going incognito or I will have my trusted Sis claim it for me..She is more for the 15mins of fame lol.

I am next...Lottery here I come.
ambelamba

Entertaiment Capital
United States
Member #37,799
April 19, 2006
302 Posts
Offline

Feb 6, 2009, 1:01 am

But the problem is that if I don't provide my SSN and resident status they will charge more tax. I am torn.
chasingadream

United States
Member #38,686
May 3, 2006
315 Posts
Offline

Feb 6, 2009, 1:21 am

omg.....LMAO this is exactly what i would do. I wonder that the commission personell would say if you were to do this. I often wonder if they ask the winners not to act tarded on camera. I would act crazy in every aspect of the word. They would be ready to end that press conference early...lol

I would do that.....it would actually bring you more attention than you initially wanted. I would act quiet and reserved like the money wouldn't make or break me and slip away into the night .

waiting patiently for my jackpot

New Topic New Poll

Subscribe to this topic

News ConferencePrev TopicNext Topic

News ConferencePrev Topic Next Topic