Posted on 10/23/2018 11:49:00 AM PDT by lowbridge
The head of the Mega Millions on Monday revealed the very first thing the potential winner of the game’s historic $1.6 billion jackpot should do: Sign the ticket and keep a low profile.
The simple yet sage advice came from Gordon Medenica, the game’s lead director and director of the Maryland lottery.
“Sign the ticket! Because keep in mind that little slip of paper is a billion-dollar bill — imagine that,” he said on NBC’s “Today.” “So you want to secure it and also be calm. Don’t be running to the ‘Today’ show the next day.”
Medenica also advised, “Get some good advice, get a good financial adviser, good lawyer, tax accountant, all that. Get your affairs in order. You’ve got between six months and 12 months to come and claim the ticket.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The winner should consult a tax lawyer and accountant BEFORE signing the ticket. Recently a winner wanted to be anonymous and she signed the ticket so there was no way...otherwise she could have set up a trust or other to collect.
There can also be tax advantages to set up trust or something like that before collecting the winnings.
Bingo! We have a winner.
That state allowed a trust to collect, but she had signed the ticket personally and sued to have her trust collect anyway. That’s not going to occur in most places.
Do you really believe it’s very hard to find her identity? It’s just that the lottery and state won’t make it public, but it will become known.
For those who support anonymity, check the case of lottery employee Eddie Tipton.
Interesting bit of information on the Mega Millions page in fine print.
California uses pari mutuel pay outs to winners other than grand prize...compare their payouts to all other states.
https://www.calottery.com/play/draw-games/mega-millions/
So how do you go about signing the back of the ticket if there are 17 people in the “pool”
Only a couple states allow this.
Heres my 2 cents worth.
Make a copy of the ticket. Take a picture of yourself holding the ticket (front and back of the ticket that are clearly legible). Take the original and place it in a safety deposit box.
Then start searching for legal and financial representation. When you are ready redeem it.
Making a note of this, thanks for the tip.
Another problem is security cameras. The store which sold the winning ticket gets a prize too. They might be informed when the ticket was sold. If so then the picture of you in your sweats buying beer and a lotto ticket might be published even in an anonymous claiming state.
The first thing to do is educate yourself about Jack Whittaker and then do not do what he does.
Making a note of this, thanks for the tip.
That’s what you would like to believe, however, given thousands of people trying to find out and somebody will figure it out.
The best you can do is delay the inevitable.
The odds of winning are worlds infinitely larger than not buying a ticket.
I thought you’re supposed to incorporate first, so Hillside Productions or Pendent Incorporated signs the ticket, and you can remain anonymous.
#1 Don’t tell a soul
#2 Consult a respectable lawyer and accountant
#3 If possible set up some kind of corporation that can claim the prize rather than you personally
#4 Spend wisely
I’ve read many times that a huge percentage of big lottery winners wind up in bankruptcy court within a few years of winning.
Only over married couple of $11mm.....just gotta shield it with trusts, etc.
If you lose the ticket and somebody else signs the ticket, the ticket belongs to them.
So what is today’s winning number or is there a link to it?
If someone tells you the number before 10 pm eastern, let me know and I’ll split the winnings with you.
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