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PSA: Mega Millions lottery is up to $636 million USD (and climbing higher) right now

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Been in for the last 4 drawinga...in for $5 more and I better damn well win this time, or somebody better:colbert:
 
Has there ever been a winner that picked their own numbers?

I say this as the system may have a way of thwarting cheating via time traveling. :biggrin:

Roughly 30% of Powerball winners pick their own numbers; coincidentally, roughly 30% of Powerball players pick their own numbers. >_<
 
May the power of the gods bless my numbers so that I can do some good in the world by helping my friends, family, and a charity foundation of my picking.
 
I'm in a group of about 50. Even with a $500 million jackpot, it's only about $2.5 million in my hands after all said and done. If there's multiple winning tickets, the amount drops.
 
I've been buying a couple dollars worth a week since the beginning of this round. I figure I'm probably in for $40 or $50 by now. I did win about $7 back.

If anyone here wins, I want my $50 back....
 
I'm in a pool with almost 50 others. I was at a funeral yesterday when the email came out of "if you want in again, see my by 2:45." But, there were a few dollars from the previous drawing that we won that are being put back in.

Should be fun at lunch when I give her a dollar. "Bummer for you, but you'll have to go out and buy one more ticket - I'm already part of the group & the stated rule up front was that everyone had to have equal shares." (No one was allowed to put in 2 dollars - everyone had to put in only 1 dollar into the pool.) "You didn't give me the ability to opt out."
 
I'm in a pool with almost 50 others. I was at a funeral yesterday when the email came out of "if you want in again, see my by 2:45." But, there were a few dollars from the previous drawing that we won that are being put back in.

Should be fun at lunch when I give her a dollar. "Bummer for you, but you'll have to go out and buy one more ticket - I'm already part of the group & the stated rule up front was that everyone had to have equal shares." (No one was allowed to put in 2 dollars - everyone had to put in only 1 dollar into the pool.) "You didn't give me the ability to opt out."

If she puts up resistance, it should be easy to convince her: "Nobody wants the headache of me suing the group because you're too lazy to stop by the drug/liquor/gas/water/food store on the way home."
 
Present cash value of megamillion annuities is now 54% of the 30 year annuity.
It is entertaining to make speculative "ballpark calculations" on a 1 Billion annuity jackpot. In states that DO NOT tax lottery winnings, the approximate 540 Million cash value would only be reduced by federal 39.6% income and 3.8% net investment taxes . . leaving a balance of around 305.6 Million. Although the yield would fluctuate with market conditions, that amount invested in a high-yield bond fund such as VWEHX would return around 17.7 Million annual dividends ($48,000 per day) BEFORE TAXES.
 
It is entertaining to make speculative "ballpark calculations" on a 1 Billion annuity jackpot. In states that DO NOT tax lottery winnings, the approximate 540 Million cash value would only be reduced by federal 39.6% income and 3.8% net investment taxes . . leaving a balance of around 305.6 Million. Although the yield would fluctuate with market conditions, that amount invested in a high-yield bond fund such as VWEHX would return around 17.7 Million annual dividends ($48,000 per day) BEFORE TAXES.

Lottery winnings would not be taxed with the 3.8% net investment income tax.
 
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Lottery winnings would not be taxed with the 3.8% net investment income tax.
I stand corrected. Very encouraging, unless the Feds try a New Jersey strategy.

Edit:
It is interesting that in the opinion of various tax preparation firms, lottery winnings are exempt from the 3.8% net investment tax . . however, searches (Windows Control+F) of the December 16, 2013 IRS Bulletin 2013-51 show no matches for the words "lottery", "gambling", or "winnings".
 
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If you won you can afford to give every American a million dollars so they don't have to use Obamacare and still have money left over! LMAO!
 
If you won you can afford to give every American a million dollars so they don't have to use Obamacare and still have money left over! LMAO!

I, most certainly, would not be giving my money to the majority of the American people! The lazy ones deserve nothing.

Sadly, I'd end up paying a ton of income tax and giving it to them anyway...
 
If someone was to win, can you open an LLC or something the next day and receive the money under that LLC rather then having your name tied to it. Or how would that work. First thing I would do is hire a lawyer, a damn good one
 
If someone was to win, can you open an LLC or something the next day and receive the money under that LLC rather then having your name tied to it. Or how would that work. First thing I would do is hire a lawyer, a damn good one

I don't think so. In some states you can claim anonymously and in almost every one you can have a lawyer claim for you (and have protection of being named I believe).

They say the first things you should do when you win some large amount of money is hire a lawyer and an accountant.
 
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