[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Here’s “lottery math”

1) Most people take a 50% “lump sum” instead of the full amount over usually 30 years. So $1b becomes $500m.

2) Federal and state taxes take about 50% of the remaining amount, so $500m becomes $250m.

Now consider that most big lottery wins are nowhere near $1b, adjust your fantasies accordingly.

[lowbridge]

Sure, it would be more nicer to have a billion dollars after taxes than 250 million dollars after taxes. But theres nothing i can do with a billion dollars that I cant and have always wanted to do with a much lesser amount, such as 250 million dollars.

So, if I were to wind up with only 250 million on a billion dollar jackpot, or something even smaller like 25 million out of a 100 million jackpot, I’m not likely to complain about the rest of the money that went for taxes.