If you won big on the lottery, who would you tell?

[Kingdomofsleep]

I haven't won. (Yet?!)

But I do kind of love reading fascinatedly about the lottery curse, how big winners tend to fall out with their spouses and friends and family. My DH says we could prevent all that by telling nobody. I then asked if that included our parents, who help us out financially in a modest way sometimes, as we ought to tell them we wouldn't need that any more. Dh said we'd tell just parents. But MIL, who is lovely and I love her, is the town crier and would tell her whole village within minutes without thinking.

I've got a ticket for tonight's draw and I find myself idly worrying about this as if I've won the 15 million pounds already or however much it is.

Dh and that's it - would not even tell the dcs - I think big money can screw up people's lives and relationships.

Only DH would know! I've thought about this (quite a lot) and have planned how I'd anonymously give money to close family and a select few mates and revitalise my local area (assuming mega euro millions money).

I actually think an old friend won a sizeable amount 5 or so years ago as they were suddenly able to do a lot which didn't fit with their jobs but both continued to work so I assumed it was buy a decent house mortgage free sort of money not live off the interest money.

It's funny how many of us have thought about this!

Yeah there's an optimal amount to win isn't there, I feel like anything over 10 million ish and my life would actually change for the worse. Something like 300k would set me up nicely without making me change my job or house (and I actually love my house and don't dislike my job). It's why I usually go for scratchcards rather than the big lotteries.

But, hey ho. Maybe next week!!

Nobody at all.

I'd tell DH, our adult children and my brother and his family (they are lovely).I know my SIL would love to go part time or even stop work so I'd make sure she could do that.
I wouldn't tell the in laws, as even though I get on with them, DH's sister has told me a few times that if she ever wins the lottery she won't give us anything!

Wouldn't tell a soul 😄

This is a really good read about a lottery win. I won’t go into detail and spoil it but so interesting, with things I hadn’t considered.

.Just My Luck

How much money would it take to let your SIL quit work completely though? I'd have to make sure that my nuclear family got the main benefit first. And I wouldn't quit work entirely without 5-10 million. So your lottery win would have to be at least double that

I find it surprising that people still believe others can keep their mouths shut. They can't - unless motivated by receiving some money that others weren't getting. Although, DM would still blab.

I'd keep it quiet if at all possible. I can already picture several hands out for a chunk. And once charities find out.....

Of course if it's really huge I couldn't keep it quiet, as I'd retire, move house & travel!! I'd lie about the figure and hand out small amounts.

Nobody at all; I'd keep it quiet & slowly upgrade my life by one level at a time so as not to attract attention. I'd contact a philanthropic organisation like Prism Gift Fund or CAF to make anonymous donation ls on my behalf. If anybody asks, I'd say I was left an inheritance by a good friend.

I'd buy houses & pay the education l/university fees for the kids in the family.

I'd make anonymous donations to the smallest charities in my area; those with incomes under £100k. The large charities like macmillan don't need anymore donations.

I'd pay for repairs and extra curricular activities at my local schools and community centre.

I'd open youth clubs or upgrade existing youth clubs in my area.

I'd pay for x amount of scholarship places for kids from low income families at my local private school.

There's an abandoned office building near me which I'd turn into a women's hostel with a gym/swimming pool. Downstairs would be converted into a therapy and education space where women/kids can receive counselling and education/skills training.

I’d only tell my best friend as she’s really financially clued up

The bank, the hubbie, the taxman and the savings account place

I wouldn’t tell anyone but I’d make sure my friend got enough money to buy a house and I would fund a charity to make sure someone I know can remain in their job and continue the great project they’re running. Then I’d work a bit less and do more of the volunteering I already do, so people wouldn’t notice much of a difference. I have always wondered if I can make that gift to my friend completely anonymously and I’m sure I could make the donation to the charity anonymously as long as due diligence was done but if anyone here has won the lottery perhaps you could advise, just in case this actually happens to me.

How on earth could you keep it a secret if you won loads? You would be spending like you hadn’t been able to before new house, car, holidays . Unless you’re going to put it all away there’s no way people wouldn’t find out

I wouldn’t tell anyone, but there would be signs. It’ll only cost £12.2 million to outfit the whole regiment, so a real bargain.

@ClaredeBear you set up a family foundation which can be run through a solicitor or a philanthropic organisation on your behalf. Prism Gift Fund, CAF and Philanthropy Impact are philanthropic organisations who work with high net worth donors who want to stay anonymous.

Exactly that. If anyone asked I would say inheritance
(because people would wonder why I suddenly have 20 cats and a load of horses)

I know a couple that won big... They didn't tell their children for about 15 years when they were grown and established... They bought a modest holiday home abroad, he carried on working and their children went to private schools when they went to secondary and they paid their uni fees. They improved their home, sold and moved to a bigger place... They told their siblings and paid off their mortgages and made sure both sets of their parents were well looked after... So close people around them knew but their children didn't know at all... It was a smart thing to do. Apart from that, I knew many years after because we are not close friends and because they weren't overtly splurging on flash stuff and did nice things, everyone kept their secret. I thought it was classy way to handle it and for them it was the right thing and they're still very happy together... I would actually lose my mind if I had that much money, a million would be amazing and enough but huge amounts are terrifying.

Just my husband

Lottery winnings aren't taxable, I learned recently (not through personal experience haha). They count as gambling winnings which aren't taxed

I love these ideas :)
My only idea is "buy a house on that nice street nearby" but I'd like to think I'd have more charitable ideas when the time came!

No one !

I wouldn’t tell anyone

Euro millions level would be DH only. I would wait a few weeks and then say it was a UK lottery win. I’d not be able to hide a substantial win with a new house, cars etc so I think saying I’ve won the UK lottery is the way forward.

We literally just bought a new house and new cars over the last two years so I would have. I need to do that. For me I would pay off the mortgage and depending on the amount…probably give up work, but I would tell people I have a part time job of some sort (that is wfh) I don’t know about that one yet 🤣 other than that it’s just more holidays etc i suppose