Mega Millions are rich, but not THAT rich
Congratulations, Mega Millions winners! You've just won the biggest lottery in history! Move over Bill Gates and Warren Buffett!
Not so fast, Richie Rich.
There's no doubt that you're now each a member of the 1 percent. A life of comfort and leisure awaits, and managed wisely, it just might await your friends and family for generations to come.
Let's just not get carried away.
A luxury box at the stadium you can afford, but forget about buying the franchise and becoming the "No. 1 fan" of your favorite NFL or Major League Baseball team. The Los Angeles Dodgers just sold for $2 billion, besting the NFL record price of $1.1 billion for the Miami Dolphins by nine times your take-home winnings.
If you'd like to turn the keys at the sweetest pad in New York City — an $88 million apartment at 15 Central Park West — you'll have to spend nearly all of it to close the deal. But don't get into a bidding war: You're sure to lose out to the current owner, the 22-year-old daughter of a Russian billionaire.
Even if you're looking to become the next great philanthropist, your good deeds can't compete — at least in terms of dollars and cents — with that Gates guy. His foundation has given away close to $26 billion since it was established in 1994.
So, you've got some catching up to do. Don't worry, you're starting from a good place.
In the hours before the dramatic Friday night drawing, the jackpot was estimated at $640 million. If you each take the lump-sum payout, the cartoon checks made out to you will be worth about $150 million. Uncle Sam gets his share, and your state might, too.
All told, you'll each have roughly 100 million reasons to call April 2, 2012, the best Monday morning of your life.
If you follow the advice of those who know money, you won't splurge on those big-ticket items that you can afford, such as a top-of-the-line Gulfstream G650 jet ($64 million, excluding pilot, maintenance, hanger and fuel costs) and a place to fly it, your own private island (let's call that $25 million even).
Not so fast, Richie Rich.
There's no doubt that you're now each a member of the 1 percent. A life of comfort and leisure awaits, and managed wisely, it just might await your friends and family for generations to come.
Let's just not get carried away.
A luxury box at the stadium you can afford, but forget about buying the franchise and becoming the "No. 1 fan" of your favorite NFL or Major League Baseball team. The Los Angeles Dodgers just sold for $2 billion, besting the NFL record price of $1.1 billion for the Miami Dolphins by nine times your take-home winnings.
If you'd like to turn the keys at the sweetest pad in New York City — an $88 million apartment at 15 Central Park West — you'll have to spend nearly all of it to close the deal. But don't get into a bidding war: You're sure to lose out to the current owner, the 22-year-old daughter of a Russian billionaire.
Even if you're looking to become the next great philanthropist, your good deeds can't compete — at least in terms of dollars and cents — with that Gates guy. His foundation has given away close to $26 billion since it was established in 1994.
So, you've got some catching up to do. Don't worry, you're starting from a good place.
In the hours before the dramatic Friday night drawing, the jackpot was estimated at $640 million. If you each take the lump-sum payout, the cartoon checks made out to you will be worth about $150 million. Uncle Sam gets his share, and your state might, too.
All told, you'll each have roughly 100 million reasons to call April 2, 2012, the best Monday morning of your life.
If you follow the advice of those who know money, you won't splurge on those big-ticket items that you can afford, such as a top-of-the-line Gulfstream G650 jet ($64 million, excluding pilot, maintenance, hanger and fuel costs) and a place to fly it, your own private island (let's call that $25 million even).
