What would you do if you had at least 50 million $$$$?

[vbhoutex]

Give it some thought and post your answers.

I would of course pay off all my debts, which fortunately aren't substantial. I would pay off my church's mortgage debt and set up a trust fund for Outreach projects and Choir needs. I would set up trust funds to assure my Grandchildren will have a proper college education and have some fool around money too. I would probably pay off the mortgages for my kids too.

After, of course, consulting with my financial advisor to be sure me and my wife are set for life without fear of running out of money(not too hard to do with this kind of money) I would buy a home somewhere in the mountains of Colorado, and one on an island in the Bahamas or somewhere in the Caribbean. Not sure if I would keep Houston as home base or not, but I know we would travel wherever we wanted to whenever we wanted to. Philanthropic projects of different sorts would be a staple of my existence also-probably projects that could impact the most people with the least outlay and motivate them also.

Just dreaming I know, but there is nothing wrong with that!

[Category 5]

I'd lobby like there's no tomorrow.

[vbhoutex]

I'd lobby like there's no tomorrow.

What would you lobby for?

[Category 5]

I'd lobby like there's no tomorrow.

What would you lobby for?

To make everything I do legal

[Stephanie]

Payoff my debt and my family's first. Make sure that I have the rest of the money invested SAFELY to be able to live off of for the rest of my life. I'd probably slurge on a home makeover as well.

New Jersey is a developer's dream. In some townships, if there's an empty corner lot they stuff houses, strip malls, etc. on them. They do face restrictions with the Pinelands and waterways being protected but for decades we were seeing thousands of farms sold off for new developments. New Jersey FINALLY got smart and created and Farmland and Green Acre fund to buy up land to prevent it from being developed and to keep it as a farm or an open space. I've always thought that I would like to buy up land to donate it to the state to be preserved.

I would also like to setup a foundation designated to regularly donate money to various charities.

[Ptarmigan]

Put all the money in mutual funds and stock market. Also, I would donate some to charity, specifically International Dark Sky Association and help Hurricane Ike victims.

[angelwing]

Would first give to my church and a few other places that I know need it badly, then pay off all my bills, get a home (my dream home with an indoor heated pool for my knees, a craft room for me and a craft/workroom for him, a huge bathroom with one of those waterjet tubs, sigh), probaly in the mountains, the mts in Western PA (not the Poconos)are awesome! Then I would make sure that the hubby is set up for everything, get a new vehicle for each of us, then maybe we could take a trip somewhere, like Rome or Hawaii (always wanted to go to those places), maybe buy some gold, silver to have, do some preps, that's all I can think of right now.

[CajunMama]

Like many of you I would pay off my debts, trust funds for my childrent and future generations. I would mainly donate to my church, military fisher house, intrepid rehabilitation center, miles perret center and american cancer society. These charities are special to me for personal reasons and i would be very very very generous.

Housing...of course there'd be a new house...with hired help! I don't know where i'd build though.

And last but not least i'd build a hurricane shield around frack's house

[vbhoutex]

I'd lobby like there's no tomorrow.

What would you lobby for?

To make everything I do legal

[Jason Foster]

I'd pay a lot of taxes....that what. About 58% would go toward taxes if given as lump sum.

After that I would pay any debt I have, that's first....no reason to keep paying something that is just adding more interest.

Next I would set up a fund to pay for all my health care costs for now until I'm dead. I have to deal with taking immunosuppressant drugs every day since I had a Kidney Transplant a year ago....and the drugs are really, really expensive.

Then I would pay whatever it took to get me into University to finish my Architecture Degree.

After that I would purchase a few modest homes in Washington, DC area, Naples Florida (or Miami), one in Denver Colorado, and lastly one in Amarillo, Texas.

Finally I would put a good sum in investments, diversify some for conservative long term growth, some in higher risk (hopefully higher return), and some in a secured retirement account.

With moneys left over, I would just use day to day and incidentals, to supplement my income (yeah I'd still work...I love architecture).

[JonathanBelles]

I would Pay Taxes (eww). Then I would put a bunch in the bank for school and an apartment. Then I would pay off my parents house. Then I would donate to Phi Theta Kappa, Ronald McDonald House, Junior Achievement, Beacon House, the local food banks, the local school system, SPC, then NOAA, and S2k Probably forgetting something.

[TexasStooge]

I would pay the taxes first (to avoid IRS). Second, pay off the remaining debts. Third, buy a house in my hometown (preferably a 4-Bedroom & 3 Bath and a backyard pool & jacuzzi). Fourth, take my driver's test and if passed, buy a new car. Fifth, go full-time at college instead of part-time. And with whatever I have left, help out my family, donate some money to the church my family and I go to, and then GO CRAZY*!!!!!

* = Does not include going to night clubs and getting drunk.

[Dionne]

The very first thing I'd do would be to stop eating off the dollar menu at McDonalds.

The next would be to pay all the doctors at the Hederman Cancer Center, Womans Hospital, Baptist Hospital and St. Dominics Hospital. We owe them a lot of money.

We would hire an on demand personal assistant for my mother in law.

I'd hire an agency to find my brother that is manic/depressive and missing almost 2 years now.

For myself......I'd go get 2 brand new pair of Levis.......real jeans.

As far as philanthropic donations......I would like to help folks meet their co-pays for meds. Possibly using the Komen Race for the Cure as a distribution method.

[vbhoutex]

Oops, John's post reminded me that I would also set STORM2K up with the BEST AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY so that we would never have to worry about our server load again. And I would even quadruple the current pay for our staff!!!

[jasons2k]

This is an interesting question...I'll answer as if I got this kind of cash by winning the lottery or something like that.

I'd probably do something like this:
1) Change my phone numbers & get a top notch security system before I told a soul.
2) Hire a lawyer, accountant, and financial planner(s). I'd interview several and would probably take some time to choose the right team. Have a trust created.
3) Claim the money, splurge a little, and take a vacation to clear my mind.
4) Payoff all my debt. Invest wisely.
5) Pay off various family members' mortgages & debt.
6) Get some new wheels, maybe a BMW M5 and get the wife whatever she wants.
5) Build a dream house on the west coast of Florida, probably near Sarasota.
6) Get a modest 2nd home in the mountains, either N.C. or Colorado/Wyoming.
7) Allocate some money to various charities, Church, S2K, Texas Tech, and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, where Caleb was in the NICU.
7) Take a year off and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.
8) Pursue the result of #7, whether it be go back to Law School, start a consulting firm in IT, invest in franchises, build a vacation rental empire in Florida, or a combination of these.
9) Finally, live life to its fullest, travel a lot, and never forget where I came from or those that helped me along the way.

[Miss Mary]

After paying our bills, mortgage, daughters' college tuition (and grad school), buying new cars, I'd, somehow.....find homes for every foster child and animal in shelters in my town. And oh yeah, open homeless shelters in my town, providing training for jobs, etc. to help them get back to work and living on their own.

[tropicana]

id probably do all the above things mentioned, but the more money that you have, the greater problems that you encounter. You will always be wondering who your true friends really are, since you won't know for sure if they hang around for the money or just for being yourself.
You also will always be worried someone's trying to get at your money through unscrupulous means. You won't be able to lie in comfort and sleep properly.
And we know money doesn't buy love. How many big named stars do we know that have had multiple marriages, all of them to fail in the long run?

so while money could bring a certain level of comfort, its doesnt necessarrily mean a better way of life.

-justin-

[Stephanie]

Good points, Justin.

[coriolis]

I don't even want to think about it. It would make my life too complicated. All that money would make me a slave to it.

[CajunMama]

Knowing that we will probably never have this happen it's fun to imagine what you would spend it on. It doesn't hurt anything to just dream.