If you were a billionaire

[flowerseverywhere]

So I was reading an article on Billionaires. If tomorrow you woke up and suddenly were on the billionaire list, what would you do with your money? Some buy gigantic homes, fancy cars, jewelry, yachts and so on. Some turn to political influence, some to funding pet projects (think Carnegie libraries) schools.

i know the members here are people who live close to the poverty line, to people living solely off investments while their capital continues to grow and everything in between. I’m thinking about what my priorities would be. I doubt any political. I doubt many more possessions, but DH would have a ton of fun getting a fancy sports car I bet. Of course help family members with school and house loans, and college accounts for the young ones. Not enough to take away the responsibility of good money management from them, but a nice boost. Maybe buy land to give to the nature conservancy or go to the local schools and see what they need.

What are your thought if you had a huge amount of unneeded to live on income?

[Yppej]

I would retire, then assist family members and others I personally know, then support worthy nonprofits in my local community. With a billion I could also buy the horrible utility company and set up a cooperative one with more reliable infrastructure and green sources of power. They are a monopoly with zero concern for the lives, safety, and service of their customers.

[iris lilies]

Ugh, a billion, no thanks.What a burden that would be as late as it is in my life. I would have to cut down on doing the fun things I like doing to manage The ( mf) Money.

Couldn’t I just get a straight 10 million instead of billions?

[razz]

Quite frankly, I am with IL on this. I don't want the responsibility of managing a lot of money.

That said, I am an admirer of the micro-loan concept that is in operation in Africa especially helping women. Loan enough to buy a cow or some chickens or a sewing machine etc. and enable the women to support themselves. They pay back the loan with a small rate of interest and it gets loaned out again. I would fund education opportunities such as traveling libraries anywhere in the world that is significantly lacking such support.

[Teacher Terry]

Help family and then build a tiny house or apartment community to get homeless people off the street and connected to services. The city of Columbus did this and it was hugely successful.

[sweetana3]

I am with IL. That is why I am not interested in the big lotteries. I start thinking about all the negatives and complexities and dont ever buy a ticket.

[bae]

I'd keep $5-$10 million to live off of for the rest of my days, then deploy the rest for public good.

[Rogar]

I am pretty satisfied with what I have. I have lived a simple but not hugely frugal lifestyle so long I've grown to like and am in the FI stage pretty much. All of my relatives are well set, too. I'd keep maybe a million for no special reason I can think of other than the unforeseen and start some sort of benevolent foundation. I would like to buy a Tesla pickup truck when they come out.

[Gardnr]

I'd be happy to accept the gift. After taxes, I would promptly give 90% to the local organizations I already give to monthly. (I mean, who doesn't want to donate to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pences' name (my husband laughs every time this occurs). I would take the remainder and build a small retirement community similar to what my Grandparents had in the Netherlands. One starts in an independent 1 bed/1 bath apartment. Visiting care can come in when the time comes. Full Care facility on site when the time comes-this one has to move into. Address never changes. Friends never leave. AND, plenty of grounds for raised bed gardens. Wheelchair accessible.

[Teacher Terry]

Gard, I love your donation on behalf of pence)