Powerball Dreams

When I worked at the Symphony, I could walk to a convenience store one block away and easily obtain a lottery ticket. I got in the habit of buying a ticket whenever the Mega Millions or Powerball went over $300,000,000.

Now I can no longer walk to a convenience store, so I have stopped my lottery habit. Probabaly just as well, since the most I've ever won was $2.

BUT when the jackpot is as big as the current one, I can't resist. I obtained my ticket this morning on my drive to work and have been dreaming of how to spend my millions ever since.

This handy page on the lottery website has informed me that, should I win, the cash payout will be $232,454,000 after taxes. The annuity payout ends up being more over 30 years, but I'd just take the lump sum. Since I used 4 of my own quarters and 4 quarters pilfered from Husband's change jar to purchase the ticket, I'd have to give half to him, leaving me $116,227,000.

So, when I win the lottery, first things first: invest $50,000,000 to create my own personal endowment with an annual interest pay out of about 7%. Here, I'll do the math for you: this will give me $3.5 million a year to live off of (before taxes).

After that investment and paying off the bills and debts that I currently have, let's just say I'll be left with $66,000,000 to blow. Here's how I'll do it.

1) Fix our housing situation. Our house has been on the market on and off for 2 years with no luck. When I'm a millionaire, I'll be able to purchase a house (houses) where ever I want. We'll start with just 3. And of course Jason would chip in for some of these from his pot o'gold.

Home base will be in Richmond - preferably a Fan or Museum District Rowhouse

Then of course I will have to obtain a loft in Paris...

... preferably on Ille St. Louis

And a row house in London.

2. Take about $30 million to set up a Foundation. It will support general operating for the arts in Maryland and Virginia because God knows it is desperately needed.

3. I'd finally purchase the red Volvo C70 that I have coveted for years.

4) Pay off my parents' house and my brother's house, then give my parents enough money to invest so that they can quit their jobs and retire to the beach. Sorry to my bro, but he needs to work a few years more, then we'll talk.

5) Quit my job and become a Richmond lady-who-lunches inbetween my springs in Paris and summers in London and falls spent globe trotting.

6) Give BFF enough money to invest so that she can quit her job and be her own nanny. Also bring her to Paris for a least 2 weeks a year (or however long she wants to stay).

7) Buy as much Lululemon as I want.

8) Hire a personal stylist, hair dresser, and make up artist to fix me up every day.

9) Build a tricked out home gym ... in every one of my houses.

10) Use my free time to pursue all of my favorite things: running, playing music, traveling, cooking. When I get bored with those, maybe start a music studio and teach flute again. Or, better yet, become a running coach because I really like helping people get into running.

11) I've always wanted a Burberry purse and trenchcoat.

12) Season tickets to the Boston Symphony. And Tanglewood. Hm. Come to think of it, I might need to spend a month during the summer in Boston every year.

Hm. I'm running out of ideas. $66,000,000 is a lot of cash!

So, what would you do with your lottery winnings?