How I Would Spend The Money If I Won The Lottery

Jeff Perkins
4 min readOct 24, 2018

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“closeup photo of 100 US dollar banknotes” by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash

You guys have all seen the news. The Mega Millions jackpot reached an astounding figure of $1.6 billion dollars! Everyone across the country was going to the local convenience store and buying their tickets with the hope of waking up the next day, becoming one of the richest people in America.

Like they say though, “With great wealth, comes great responsibility”. I always thought it was so disappointing to see the stories of people who ended up bankrupt, and their lives ruined because of the lottery.

Like this

and this

With an estimated payout of nearly $905 million dollars, I have always been flabbergasted, how do you lose all of that money?

One of the main goals of 21st Finance is being responsible with your personal finances, and what better way to educate you guys on this by giving you the breakdown of how I would utilize $905 million dollars.

Step #1: Put $200 million into a low risk government bond ($705 million left).

This one is a no brainer for me. Government bonds are the least risky investments that anyone can make. With a modest 12 month interest rate of approximately 2.5%, I would earn $5 million dollars every year. Essentially, I would live off of the interest every year until I die, and still be in the top 1% nationally.

Step #2: Use $100 million to pay off all debts for my friends and family, as well as gift it to them ($605 million left).

My friends and family are the most important people in my life, and you better know that all of them are getting their debts paid off, whatever vehicles/houses they want bought, and the security of financial freedom for the rest of their lives. I wouldn’t be the person I am without them. Thanks Mom and Dad for all that you do.

Step #3: Donate $50 million to my hometown school and government. ($555 million left).

I grew up in small-town Iowa. I am proud of where I come from, and just because I become one of the richest men in America, don’t think I will forget about Estherville, Iowa. I would use the money to upgrade facilities and education for the local school system, promote economic growth in the town, and work towards making Estherville a booming, Midwest, community. A complete renovation of our downtown would be a project, as well as leveraging the money to promote new businesses to move into town. Jobs are an important thing for me, and I want to make sure Estherville can grow into the town it could potentially be.

Step #4: Donate $100 million to Iowa State University ($455 million left).

Education is also very important to me. Iowa State is one of the premier education institutions in America, and as an alumni, it is my duty to give back to the school. One of my goals in life is to have a building named after me, and what better place to do it than Ames, Iowa. The money would be used for updating, and promoting the growth of agricultural education at the university. The money would be used for new facilities, curriculum, and promoting the best career fairs possible. I would also like to use the money towards renovating the athletic facilities on campus for all division one sports.

Step #5: Donate $200 million to mental health awareness and research ($255 million left).

Those of you that have listened to my podcast before know that mental health awareness is a huge thing for me. I have had many loved ones struggle with these types of psychological issues, and I believe there isn’t enough research that goes into addressing these issues. I believe there is a major crisis in our country today with mental health that isn’t being addressed enough. I would love the opportunity to use the money for working with state and federal governments to address these issues and work towards a brighter future for all.

Step #6: Use $10 million to hire the best financial planner, legal team, and security team in the world ($245 million left).

I’m going to be one of the most sought after men in America, right? A man has got to protect himself.

Step #7: Donate $50 million to Heart Disease and Cancer Research Efforts ($195 million left).

This is essentially the same reasoning I used for mental health awareness. Cancer and Heart health research is important to me, and I believe that there is a lot of work left to do in these medical fields.

Step #8: Donate $95 million to my state government for renewable energy research and development ($100 million left).

I love the state of Iowa. This is home to me. The world is running out of fossil fuels, and climate change is a real issue today. By promoting even further growth of clean energy, my beloved state can promote economic growth and enhance the economic opportunities for all citizens.

Step #9: Donate $50 million to underprivileged families and youth throughout the State of Iowa ($50 million left).

I believe that all Iowan’s deserve the best livelihood possible. For those that are struggling financially, I would love to use this money to support food banks, education for at risk youth, and give opportunities for the less fortunate in my state.

Step #10: Spend $50 million to live like a rock star ($0 left).

I want to travel the world, eat the best food, ride in private jets, and live the life of my dreams. Some of my personal goals are to climb Mount Everest, visit all 7 continents, and visit all 50 states. You already know I’m going to be heading to Vegas with my pals, going to New York City with my Mom, and doing things that most people only dream of.

The real question you must ask yourself is…

What would you do with this immense amount of money?

-JP

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Jeff Perkins

I enjoy sports, gambling, finance, and things that affect young people.