To be a bit frustrated with lottery winners lack of imagination?

[angelos02]

To the couple that just won £33 million saying they'd pay for their daughter to fly first class back from Australia. Get a private jet ffs. Buy a yacht & the staff you'd need. Bring back that 'spend spend spend' woman!

[Bogeyface]

Lala I read an interview with the man who comes out to you and tells you that you have won (they are not allowed to tell you over the phone), and he said that it is far harder to keep secret than people think and that if you get your ticket checked at the shop, as many do, then its impossible.

I can see their logic, but the risk of kidnapping/ransom demands, especially if you have kids, would have me hiding it.

On my list is also 24 hour security staff, genuinely.

[bettyberry]

I'd not go public. I'd not tell my family either. In fact I would employ some serious tactics to keep it very very quite because an whiff of money and my extended family are like vultures

I'd drop off the face of the planet for a while. I'd also take DS out of school permanently and spend a year travelling with him. He wants to know what it feels like to be in Zero G. Trip to the US and an almost space flight it'd be the last stop of a round the world trip though. That good enough?

[DizzyDancer]

I definitely wouldn't go public.

In fact I would struggle telling my family as no doubt my mil would be grabby grab grab as much as she can. She would even use the excuse of "after everything i bought you as a kid"

Whilst I sometimes dream of winning the lottery, I think like would be complicated afterwards

[TheHiphopopotamus]

With that kind of sum I don't think you could actually spend it all yourself

Oh, I dunno. I'd give it a good bloody go, that's for sure

[Bogeyface]

Dizzy I have often thought that, as with most things, the fantasy wouldnt live up to reality.

Once you have gone through the first 6 months or so of buying your lovely new house, car, travelled and been shopping just for the sake of it, then what?

What would you do all day with someone to take care of the the house, the laundry, the school run etc. Its no wonder that many people who did go public with big wins have ended up unhappy at best or bankrupt and in prison at worst.

Sometimes chasing the dream is more fun than the dream itself.

[Darvany]

Apparently you're supposed to disguise yourself when entering the Camelot building as paps can be there.

DH and I will be running out of cab dressed as Rod Hull and Emu.

[rosewithoutthorns]

I'd be too scared to go public.

What people choose to do with their money though is up to them.

[Quietlifenotonyournelly]

If it were me that won I'd be a bit like that woman in 'At home with the Braithewaithes' and not tell anyone, if anyone remembers that.
I love DH and my DCs but little devil in me would say wait then spring it on them

[bigbluebus]

iPost part of my plan for spending the winnings included using a Solicitor to make anonymous donations to local good causes and people in need and not forgetting some cash for my siblings from a 'long lonst relative'

I wouldn't want to go public. But my grand plans wouldn't involve anything really extravagant. I have one or two schemes planned which involve putting facilities in place for young disabled adults but I would do that under the guise of a charity/trust so no one would know it was me.

I have no desire to have a flash car - yes I'd probably get a new car but just something that woudn't stand out in a crowd. I'm happy with my house in the village I live in so wouldn't want to move - might do a few modest upgrades but don't need anything bigger -might consider getting a cleaner though. Our annual holiday would be upgraded a little but I don't like grand or posh.

Probably a complete waste of time for me to win such a large sum really - couple of million would do it for me

[AcrossthePond55]

Unfortunately as a PP posted, in the US you don't have the choice to remain anonymous (at least I know you don't in California). Your name is public as is the store where you bought your ticket, but I believe you can decline to have 'publicity photos' used. It's supposedly to decrease the likelihood of 'funny business' within the lottery system.

DH said he read an article where the Lottery is now thinking that they'll let people remain anonymous IF they agree to pay 25% of their prize back to the lottery for the privilege'. So it'd be taxes of +/- 50% PLUS a 25% 'privacy fee'? Bollocks to that!

If we win, we figure we'll change our phone numbers, pack a bag, and get the hell out of Dodge. We know lots of places where we could hide in our caravan up in the mountains until we could line up an attorney and a financial planner.

[Crikeyblimey]

The parents of Someone I worked with years ago won quite big (several million) and they were very sensibly advised (by Canelot I presume) to tell people they had won but okay down the amount. They said a few hundred thousand to explain away the new cars for the kids and house move but then took years to generally upgrade their lifestyle. They eventually came clean and the amount of people who were cross with them for not telling them right away was shocking. Like it was anyone else's business. Awful.
Anyway, they were very sensible people and I was so happy for them.

[EnthusiasmDisturbed]

All those saying they wouldn't tell a soul .... Very suspicious as the other winner hasn't yet come forward

[Chippednailvarnish]

DH and I have already agreed that if we ever won anything substantial we would tell our respective families that the other had inherited it money grabbing bastards

[Quietlifenotonyournelly]

Enthusiasm It was me...
Not really just won a couple of poxy lucky dips

[SapphireSeptember]

I always said that if me and DH ever won the Euromillions we'd build some houses, and some flats, and rent them out cheaply and use the rent money for the upkeep of said houses, (and build ourselves a nice house.) My little slice of socialism.

[MaureenMLove]

I've always wondered how long it would actually take for the winnings to hit your bank account. If I'd have won on Saturday, I'd still be post Christmas skint and not even able to buy a bottle of something lovely to celebrate! I'd have had to use the last of my Morrisons vouchers for a cheap bottle of plonk!

[angelos02]

I'd hire a private yacht & travel for a couple of years. I'd pay to book places to myself rather than having to suffer numpties taking selfies. Basically I'd use the money to avoid all of the things that annoy me day to day. Not fussed about a big house or fancy car.

[ComposHatComesBack]

Maybe the whole concept of being able to afford a private jet hasn't sunk in yet?

Thing is, with that amount of money, you'd struggle to buy a private jet that could fly her back from Australia.

[AcrossthePond55]

Sigh. We didn't win. But somebody did. Someone in So Cal is $1.5 BILLION usd richer tonight.

Hmmm, wonder if they want a new best friend?

[BadlyBehavedShoppingTrolley]

I would NEVER choose to go public, even for a relatively modest win, but to be honest unless you gave almost all of it away immediately it would be pretty much impossible to keep that sort of win a secret for long anyway. Especially if you'd not been remotely well off beforehand. The only way to make sure no-one found out would be to never spend any.

If I were then though, I wouldn't pay out for a private jet either - what a bad taste waste of money. First class on any good airline is perfectly adequate. You are still stuck on a plane with nothing to do but lay down and watch a film while drinking champagne, whichever way you cut it.

Just because you have the money for private charter versus a first class ticket doesn't mean it's a good way to spend it, compared to feeding starving Syrians or funding a school in Nepal.

[Qwebec]

I'm with you BIGBLUE, I'm not sure what I would do if I won, I don't want a fancy car/clothes/house/whatever, I would want my family to be financialy secure but besides that there is not much else I want financially.

I'd hate to be harassed and where I live you must go public to get your prize. I'd like the money to go somewhere that it would make the world a better place, but I don't have a plan besides that.

I know someone who won a substantial prize and it braught nothing but grief to all involed.

[Baconyum]

You'd have to find me first! That kinda money I'd buy an island/emigrate! Certain sectors of society I'd want to help in a charitable way but family apart from dd nah!

They are from a very small town and its be impossible to stay there and not be noticeably richer. Unless quite elderly I can't understand the 'it won't change us' mentality. Someone in next village along had a few Mil win and unreasonably I thought kept their job and took pay for it. It's a high unemployment area someone else needed that job.

[Anotherusername1]

I wouldn't need a lot of money for me - a couple of million would do very nicely thank you. New house, new car, decent holidays, make sure mother comfortable and then a bit more money to ensure that any close relatives' mortgages were paid off.

But think of all the good you could do. Give money to charities, schools. Examples - a running track or 3G pitch for your town. Local small charities which operate on a shoestring - throw £20K their way and they could benefit so much in the community. Invest in small start-up businesses that have clever ideas. Keep your local library open. The possibilities are endless and go far beyond funding a luxury lifestyle.

[RebootYourEngine]

Nobody apart from my family would know that i had won the lottery because i would take them all and move to another country.

No one would probably notice anyway.