Go ahead and assume people will find out. Act accordingly. After getting the money, leave. Go somewhere where no one knows you. Stay there until you are ready to go somewhere else. Then start looking for a home away from where you live or grew up.
Our plan is to buy a house(s) near where we went to college.
Wife and I have spoken about winning lotteries in the past a lot. It’s fun, trying to think of things to do with so much cash. But the bottom line is, I’m a guy with very small needs, and my imagination isn’t big enough to apply to a $500 million windfall. I used to want to buy a nice airplane, but then you’re stuck with non-stop maintenance, and hiring someone to manage your stuff when you’re not around. That goes with anything. Owning nice fleets, a golf course, etc.
The more I think about it, the less stuff I’d want to own. One can have anything, but one loses the value of having it. It becomes meaningless, when working hard to afford that new truck, or house, gives a great reward for succeeding in that goal.
so the most important thing I can think to do with a MASSIVE pile of cash is to travel, and give. I don’t want to be the head of a huge investment business. It’s a whole career just managing the money, which I do not desire. But I’d love to be that guy that shows up at a club and anonymously pays everyone’s tab. That would be soul fulfilling, like to help a struggling waitress. Things like that.