640 effing million

Maryland, Illinois and Kansas each had a winner. $213M each before taxes.

 

Rags, I'd spend it all in 30 days. Guaranteed. I don't care what the number is.

 

"Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math." -- Ambrose Bierce

 

How the hell is retiring a selfish act?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. I'll retire from the Army in about 12 years and then have some fun.

 

Selfish bastard!

 

I'll certainly work in some form or fashion, but it will definitely be something I enjoy. With little responsibility. Maybe the guy at Home Depot who tells you which isle the toilet repair products are on.

 

I bet I'd start collecting something I wouldn't even think about collecting. Like vintage cars or guitars or something. Perhaps open some kind of museum or library. With that kind of money, you could really follow some passions.

I think that being that suddenly wealthy would bring with it a tremendous amount of existential baggage. Typically, you kind of accept that you have to balance pursuit of your passions with making a living and paying the bills. And money can act as some proxy of success. But with more money than you could handle, freed of constraints, you would feel a great deal of pressure to really do something meaningful with your life.

 

Not me. Had this discussion with a friend last night. I would feel no such pressure. Ever.

 

You have no internal desire to imbue your existence with meaning?