If You Never Had To Worry About Money EVER Again

It is really fun to dream about winning the lottery-to win 100s of millions of dollars.

My email and lunch buddy, Kevin, and I were talking on this subject. He asked me what the very first thing I'd do after I won that kind of money. OK, after you tell your wife and a few friends. We happened to be at lunch and so I told him that I'd go back to work to tell everyone and then politely get my stuff and quit-walk out to never work another day in my life. Kevin said he'd pack up his stuff and not tell anyone! In the past he's said he'd just not go back, forget his stuff-hire someone else to collect it for him!

For some people it is hard to grasp what that much money can really do for them and others. Our other email buddy, Chris sent me this quote from a CNN article:

Daisy Buck of Bluff, Utah
I would quit my job and retire. Then, I would give some money to my children/grandchildren and to my family. Most of it would probably go to fixing my house, paying the bills, and just kicking back and enjoying life.

My friend then pointed out, "Just in case you didn’t get it, I’ll repeat it for you, 'Most of it would probably go to fixing my house.'" Well Daisy Buck, your house must be one heck of a fixer upper. I replied to his email and joked that I could pay up my rent for years. But folks don't really understand how to think with that much money.

I was thinking along a different line...I'd build a house and furnish it with all new EVERYTHING. With the exception of some personal photos or some really meaningful personal stuff I would walk into my new house naked and empty handed ready to embrace the whole new life inside. I apologize for the mental picture.

Kevin and I continued talking about a woman that had won that had kept her job. I remarked that that was just plain irresponsible! I then went on to say that it would be cool to sit back and invest in people's dreams, finance thier business endeavors or the like. But Kevin was quick with a chastise, you don't need to invest with the purpose of making money...YOU HAVE MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER NEED! The question isn't what would you do with all of that money, how would you spend it. No, the question is what would you do with your life! What would you do to impact the lives around you? What would you do for mankind? If you never had to worry about money EVER again what would you do? Where would you go?

It is kinda like an episode of the A-Team I saw on Tuesday January 14, 1986. Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock was the crazy character-the BEST character I might add. Well he was on Wheel of Fortune. Remember when you could go shopping as a winner on Wheel of Fortune? You'd buy 2-3 big things for thousands of dollars then go for the $150 lamp or $75 dog statue. But not Murdock! He bought 5-10 of the little things and then had enough to get one big thing! Pretty funny. I love the A-Team. (Sigh).

So for Kevin he'd just go fishin'! He'd go volunteer at a fly-fishing shop to learn the trade and go somewhere to be alone fishing! I am more extroverted so I would do things to include my friends. I said I'd buy a really nice suit to wear to some really nice restaurants. Kevin said he'd never wear a suit again! I said I'd hire a chef to make meals where I could lose weight.

And that is how it is for most of us. We'd pay off our bills. Or buy a house. Or buy a car. Or set up some trust funds. Or fix something up or restore something. But that is all piddly stuff! I mean a $1M dollar house plus extravagant $500,000 in bills plus a REALLY nice over-priced sports car...well that is still just under 1% of a $200M payout! PEANUTS! A drop in the bucket! I'll be 35 this year. Let's say I live to be 85, that's 50 more years...200M divided by 50 years...that's $4,000,000 a year...about $75,000 a week...that's over $10,000 a day! And that is without any kind of investment whatsoever. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY!

Some folks would fly to different places. I'd buy a plane and learn how to fly it when my pilot wasn't taking me to a show in New York or to a national park in California for a birthday bash with 1000 of my closest personal friends! Or for a snowball fight in Alaska! Some folks would buy a really nice house or fix up the one that they have, I'd build a housing complex where my family could live in an over-sized cul-de-sac of 4-5 houses that were connected by underground game rooms and pools and a really large banquet hall and maybe a theater or bowling alley...With a 5-story hotel off to the side where people could stay for free while visiting me! Yeah, now we're talking. Some folks would buy a sports car; I'd go to a car dealership and get one of each with cash in hand, or cash in boxes.

I'd also do some cool stuff for my friends and family. I'd be creative in giving money away. I'd buy my kids a toy store. Maybe a video game store too. Heck maybe a train for the Thomas the Tank lover in my house complete with an engine, cars and a caboose on a 20-mile long track. I have a friend who really likes beer. I'd buy him a bar. Tell him that if he doesn't want it he can sell it and do whatever with the money. My other co-worker is a pilot; I'd buy him a jet. I'd buy pocket PCs and laptops and maybe an Escalade for all of my friends!

I'd take Rush Limbaugh out for dinner. I'd play a video game against Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. I'd hire author Orson Scott Card for a one-on-one lecture/Q & A about his books. I'd pay to eat at a fund-raiser to meet President Bush. I'd build a house with President Jimmy Carter. I'd donate money and time to that "Extreme Makover: Home Edition." That darn show makes me cry every time!

I'd build a church for the church plant that I attend that currently meets in an elementary school's cafeteria. I'd give $100 bills away for no reason at all. I'd spy on folks just to learn what extravagant gift they want for Christmas and leave it on their front porch.

I'd help the poor as much as I could. But that kinda goes back to the idea of financing dreams and investing in businesses. I'd do that, start new businesses or invest in companies. Not with the purpose of making more money, but to create jobs and to build a legacy for generations to come. Maybe create departments at those jobs to recruit the homeless, clean them up and give them a place to live to transition into the workplace. Give them hope.

What Sam Walton did for his family and for the rest of the world is pretty cool. He created jobs; his Wal-Mart brand is world-recognized. Look how Wal-Mart is driving down the prices of prescription drugs. Not to mention the community involvement and the money that they are able to give to charity. I know some folks hate Wal-Mart.

Then you read story after story of those that have spent all of their winnings and get sued or file for bankruptcy. How can that be? The first thing you should spend money on is a financial advisor!

Some folks go back to work to be around their friends and maybe work at what they love. Some people might go off and be alone never to be heard from again. Others would stay right where they are and fix things up. Others may invest to make more money. And still others will buy a whole lot of little things and maybe waste all of their money.

But a few will do something worth while. They'll leave their mark on the world-and not merly for the sake of being remembered. They'll be a good person. They'll have enough money to be a human being and give back to mankind. Maybe that'd be me. Then again maybe I'd end up filing bankruptcy in a few years.

I'd learn how to ride a Harley. I'd buy minivans for all the moms at the local Mothers of Mulitples organization. I'd build a really freakin' huge tree house that spanned a forrest! OK, maybe not.

What would you do? I'd love to hear from you.

-Durk-