Mega Millions $970,000,000

[Sportsaholic]

I'll take my chances. :0008

I'll give away about $50 million to friends and family.

Greedy bastard...?:0003

 

[MadJack]

Greedy bastard...?:0003

:142smilie

 

[johnnyonthespot]

If they take the 30 year annuity, they get to avoid going broke!

This.

I have a Finance degree, MBA, and CPA so I am well-versed in the math proving that lump-sum is definitely the more financially advantageous route for the winner. Nevertheless, I would take the annuity for two reasons:

1) If I am handed a check for $878M - there are people who I would absolutely trust to not steal it and there are people who I think would know what to do with such a large amount, but there is no overlap between the two. Bank accounts are only insured up to $100k, so short of opening up 8,780 individual accounts I wouldn't know what to do with it to feel like it's secure and would certainly not trust any of the 100s of "financial managers" who would instantly come out of the woodwork. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of celebrities who have had millions stolen from them from a so-called financial planner who turned out to be a charlatan (cough) Madoff (cough). Which leads to . . .

2) If I ended up doing something very stupid, got defrauded, and/or went off on a couple Rick James-style benders and somehow lost everything - it would sure be nice to know that I've got another $48M coming to me next year.

 

[Old School]

This.

I have a Finance degree, MBA, and CPA so I am well-versed in the math proving that lump-sum is definitely the more financially advantageous route for the winner. Nevertheless, I would take the annuity for two reasons:

1) If I am handed a check for $878M - there are people who I would absolutely trust to not steal it and there are people who I think would know what to do with such a large amount, but there is no overlap between the two. Bank accounts are only insured up to $100k, so short of opening up 8,780 individual accounts I wouldn't know what to do with it to feel like it's secure and would certainly not trust any of the 100s of "financial managers" who would instantly come out of the woodwork. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of celebrities who have had millions stolen from them from a so-called financial planner who turned out to be a charlatan (cough) Madoff (cough). Which leads to . . .

2) If I ended up doing something very stupid, got defrauded, and/or went off on a couple Rick James-style benders and somehow lost everything - it would sure be nice to know that I've got another $48M coming to me next year.

and you are 39 years old....40 years to live.....