Anyone ever won the lottery? Would you tell anyone if you did?

[FirestoneRocks]

Stopped off and got my Powerball ticket and it got me thinking...would you ever tell anyone if you won the lottery? I think the only people I would tell are my immediate family.

 

[SomePixiedust]

DH and I often have this conversation when we're dreaming We would not want to go public, immediate family only!

 

[momof1princess]

nope. DH and i have discussed this several times-if we EVER won a lottery (which isn't likely, we might play once a year, if that often, because we have to drive to the next state to get a ticket) we would simply disappear. not only would we not go public, we'd drop off the face of the earth-only my in-laws would know where we were.

 

[cornflake]

I don't understand the people who go public! I realize the lottery has a right to publish your name and etc., but it's a bearer instrument.

I'd get a trustworthy lawyer, draw up an airtight contract, have it checked over, and let the lawyer go collect it for me.

 

[monkeyboy]

I would tell everyone at WDW when i rented out the entire park and kicked them out

 

[gojoe]

My first call would be to my travel agent. Second call would be to my wife. She would want to start packing for our trip. No I think she would just buy new things when we got there.
Every time we buy a ticket we dream of places to go. First stop is always Disney.

 

[GeorgeG]

Never won more than a few dollars. If I ever win big I would keep quiet about it until I had time to get organized and meet with accountants and tax experts. I might do that at a suite at one of my favorite WDW resorts.

 

[Imzadi]

I don't understand the people who go public! I realize the lottery has a right to publish your name and etc., but it's a bearer instrument.

I'd get a trustworthy lawyer, draw up an airtight contract, have it checked over, and let the lawyer go collect it for me.

Heck, I'd make sure false names are given out to the press & hire a couple of actors to impersonate us. Maybe a couple of really old people, like the ones they always show on the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

I would tell everyone at WDW when i rented out the entire park and kicked them out

Monkeyboy!!! Where have you been? Welcome back!

 

[Becky2005]

I think it depends on the rules -- if I recall some of the agreement with claiming the prize. DH & I have discussed this as we would have a lawyer collect but then somewhere along the lines we read something to the effect that by claiming the prize, you agree that your information can be published (i.e. they WANT publicity for the winners or no one is ever going to think anyone wins).

I haven't looked in years but I should just out of curiosity see what the back of the lottery ticket says that is about 2 pt print with a billion legese stuff, 1/2 of which I don't even understand I'm sure.

 

[1Jackpot]

Do NOT tell anyone, except close family members. Hire a tax attorney, who can set up a trust to claim your winnings. This avoids you having to claim it publicly.

Even if you have your trust claim it, not so close family members will find out (or figure it out). When they do and they ask you for money, tell them ALL money requests need to be gone through your attorney. This saves you from being pressured into lending people money. Let your attorney say no for you!!

So, as for your questions--no, I would not tell anyone, which is why I can't answer your first question.

Good luck!!

 

[auntie]

We know a couple who won 11 million. They did not claim it publically. They were advised by their attorney to keep this information very quiet. There are wack jobs out there who wouldn't think twice about kidnapping one of their then young children.

 

[njmom47]

Makes me think about the Iowa winner who had 2 hours left to claim the money. Our neighbors were part of a pool that won. Their final take was less than a million, and it hasn't seemed to change their life much at all...whether because it really wasn't a lot of money or whether because they are just that type of people.

 

[Imzadi]

Makes me think about the Iowa winner who had 2 hours left to claim the money. Our neighbors were part of a pool that won. Their final take was less than a million, and it hasn't seemed to change their life much at all...whether because it really wasn't a lot of money or whether because they are just that type of people.

A million doesn't go far these days, between two people, considering how long people live now. It would probably be better to invest what they got (after taxes) and hope they got a good stock broker who can invest in such a way that they are living off the dividends only, while reinvesting the total of what they got.

 

[JessicaR]

A few days ago the couple that won $208 million lottery jackpot on Long Island came forward - yeah they played here, won here and are from CA.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-visit-to-ny/2012/01/13/gIQAmWSCwP_story.html

Financial analyst from Calif. 208 Million Dollar Lottery Ticket

Of course he was a Financial Analyst

I dunno - When I win - I'll decide.

 

[S. C.]

Heck, I'd make sure false names are given out to the press & hire a couple of actors to impersonate us. Maybe a couple of really old people, like the ones they always show on the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.





Monkeyboy!!! Where have you been? Welcome back!

DH and I are pretty old and both of us are retired. How much would you pay?

 

[Handbag Lady]

The first thing I would do is sign my ticket.

The second thing I was do is quit my job (assuming it was a large enough win so that I wouldn't have to work, even if just for a few years.)

The third thing is call my tax guy.

No place on this list does it say tell anyone!!!!

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

We rarely play the Lottery. I was actually watching a marathon of TV shows today on how winning the lottery changed or didn't change ppl's lives. I told Dh that we absolutely have to start playing. We have to cross the bridge and go over into the next state to get tickets but we live right across the bridge from the next state and just a few miles from the gas station that sells the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets.

If we won, I would tell my dad and wait and let my friends figure it out when I moved into my new custom built mini mansion on my 100 acres of land.

I think I am going to make DH drive over and get some lottery quick picks when we get back from Disney in 3 weeks.

You can buy quick picks for the next 10 drawings (5 weeks worth) at one time so you don't have to go get them very often.

If I won a small lottery of less than 2 million dollars (about a million after taxes) I probably wouldn't tell anybody, not even my dad. They would just know that somehow I was being able to take a lot more trips lately. =)

I already live where I want to live and have the car I would buy if I had a million dollars, so my life wouldn't have to change much if at all.

If I won some HUGE amount of money I would definitely contact a financial adviser and an attorney before I ever claimed the money.

 

[Imzadi]

DH and I are pretty old and both of us are retired. How much would you pay?

It depends on how much I win.

I'd want to give you a nice fee, since you will get harassed a lot. You can live up the high life for a couple years. Vacations at Disney. Toss in a few trips to Las Vegas with extra money, to make sure you are seen LOSING at the craps tables. Eventually, in a few years, you can tell all the people harassing you that you lost all your winnings in Vegas, or that you gave it all to some Bingo charity, so they can finally leave you two alone.

 

[cornflake]

I think it depends on the rules -- if I recall some of the agreement with claiming the prize. DH & I have discussed this as we would have a lawyer collect but then somewhere along the lines we read something to the effect that by claiming the prize, you agree that your information can be published (i.e. they WANT publicity for the winners or no one is ever going to think anyone wins).

I haven't looked in years but I should just out of curiosity see what the back of the lottery ticket says that is about 2 pt print with a billion legese stuff, 1/2 of which I don't even understand I'm sure.

The rules generally do have that - that collecting the prize constitutes you agreeing to allow them to use your name and image for marketing. Also the lottery rules, as it's to do with state collection of money, generally have that the winners' names are public record and released every whatever month, year, what have you.

But - it's a bearer instrument. The ticket belongs to whomever possesses it. Hence, you draw up an airtight agreement with a lawyer for them to collect it on your behalf as and turn it over to you, the lawyer goes to collect - as far as the lottery is concerned, they're the winner - and the lawyer's agreement with you is bound by confidentiality. See? Easy Peasy.

Have to find a lawyer willing to agree to it but they can just claim they're donating the entire thing to a charity or whatever so no one will bother them, if they want.

 

[acejka]

Never in a million years would i tell!