[C19fan]

The odds of winning the Powerball is 1 in 292 million. Post-tax payout means one would make a profit from buying every potential combination of numbers. The one element I do not have information on is how many tickets will be sold before the draw on Monday. The chance of splitting the payout will reduce the expected winnings to non-profitable.

[Jonty30]

Cash in the hand is better than cash over 25 years.

[joma89]

The lottery is a tax on stupid people.

[jdt1138]

Just think; Most of the people buying these tickets will be voting on Tuesday.

[Gay State Conservative]

Look at the history of big jackpot winners and you see that things often go bad for them. Many wind up in bankruptcy court and at least one was actually murdered.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Whoever wins/earns a lot of money by chance will continue playing the "game" until (s)he then loses that money by chance.

Whoever wins/earns a lot of money...or just money...will continue working to earn that money while steadily building wealth assets.

[AppyPappy]

If I win, I’m getting new brake pads for the Cavalier

[RandallFlagg]

Step 1. Win the Powerball
Step 2. Wait five months
Step 3. Use that money to make MORE money

[Libloather]

I got this...

[DCBryan1]

Step 1: Keep mouth shut
Step 2: Meet with CPA, CFP/Series 7/66/3 broker, estate attorney.
Step 3: After taxes 1B cash payout you'll net 500mm after taxes in most states.
Step 4: Pay all debts off (unless you want to keep credit score high-keep mortgage.
Step 5: Diversify and live off interest and leave principal alone
50m in gold/silver/jewelry/art/firearms/collectibles, 5mm in cash (3mm US, 1mm in your back up country, 1mm in other sound countries) etc
50m in tax free muni bonds (or up to 250mm)
50m in taxable munis
50m in taxable Agencies 50m in CMOs for monthly cash flow. GNMA safest
50m in 2yr UST (yields higher than 10 year currently)
50m in Blue chip stocks that 1) pay a dividend, 2) too big for China to mess with and 3) too big for Soros to muck with
50m (10%) in a charitable trust for charities....pay yourself a fee since you run it.
50m in Corporate bonds or convertible stock...again in companies that China and Soros cant mess with.
Finally, 50m in YOU. That means if you are young and want to work, use that money for you. Want to fly? Hell buy a plane and learn how to fly it. Heck charter it or use to fly sick kids around. Build a big hanger. Wife likes to garden? Buy her a big ole garden center...the best in town. Into guns? Buy the biggest gun store your market will support and teach people about freedom.

Step 6: Be happy, quiet, and give thanks to God. Now go out and make a difference in peoples lives!

[AF_Blue]

Cash option. Hire a financial advisor to set up something (trust fund?) that could claim the prize without my name being involved. Make an annual budget (a very large one) that can be blown, with the security of having another budget next year.

1. Take care of me: pay off a few bills that were going to be cleared by March, anyways; new car, new truck, new house with a detached garage to park them in; go back to school, change course of study to something economics-related.

2. Take care of parents

2a. My Mom lives with and is cared for by my sister, so Mom gets pocket money and a caretaker fund going to Sis.

3. Pay off brothers' and sister's mortgages

4. No kids, so set up trust funds for nieces and nephews that would grant a stipend to match their earnings: no work (or comparable), no money. I have a niece that's a full-time stay-at-home Mom and a home-schooler, so I'll hire someone to figure out how much that check would be. I have a nephew that served honorably in the Army by jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, seperated with full disability, so he gets something extra on top.

5. Whenever I get the urge to splurge, go look up the history of previous lottery winners.

6. Using my newly gained economics education, make investments in business startups. If they're successful, and profitable, after a few years, take out my initial investment and turn whatever profit was made back over to the original owners.

[glennaro]

Who was it that said: “Actually buying a lottery ticket only slightly increases your chances of winning.”

[Hatteras]

Annie, bring me me apple tart, will you?...

[dakine]

“Shoot, A Fella’ Could Have A Pretty Good Weekend In Vegas with all that stuff.”

[nickcarraway]

How soon will the person who wins this be able to go bankrupt?

[StAnDeliver]

If I had that kind of 9-figure FU money, I would buy Rush's place from Katherine, and yes, start broadcasting.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Buy a lotto ticket and half goes to the government. You win the other half but then the government takes half of your winnings. In the end the gov get 3/4’s of the money. Not counting when you buy something that has a tax the gov gets another 10%! lol

Like everyone usually says, “Lotteries are for people who are bad at math”! lol

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Don’t believe that winning is impossible, 20 years ago I hit 5 numbers on Mega lotto and won $175,000, and if that isn’t crazy enough, a few weeks later I hit 4 numbers twice in a week and I RARELY played and still do. I haven’t bought any tickets in years but that $175K was nice. Too bad I didn’t get those 5 numbers today because they raised the prize to a million bucks.

[Graybeard58]

I could pay most of my bills with that kinda money!

[virgil]

Astronomical odds with an astronomical jackpot. It’s so hard to win, and the pay outs for getting fewer numbers is comparatively low. If you get 5 numbers, you only get a million. I think the pay outs should be higher. It’s a stupid game.

[Palio di Siena]

I would call out sick with rectal glaucoma.
I can’t see my ass going to work.