What Would You Do With £170M

[horizon]

I'd buy that Rover bicycle that Greybeard was selling recently.

[Spinners]

Theoretical for me as I don't do the lottery but I've always believed that any 'big win' brings with it as many problems as it solves. If I did win, then seeing the world by cycle would be central to my plans with Mrs. Spinners driving the support vehicle. I don't lust after cars anymore but I do lust after bikes so our new home would have a huge garage (heated of course) for our bikes and the car can stay outside

[iandriver]

If you book one of those ten grand a night presidential suite hotel rooms, think they'd let you keep your bike in the room?

It's an amount of money that's a bit mind boggling really.
I read somewhere that a salary of something like 70k or there abouts is the top of the happiness threshold. Anything above this won't make you any happier. Wouldn't mind putting the theory to the test.

I'd certainly think about some sort of public work with it, such as preserving some industrial heritage or buying a steam train or two, donating them to a heritage railway on the condition that I can drive them every once in a while. Supporting some urban regeneration projects would appeal to me also. They'd sure as hell have proper cycle facilities from the outset.

[100%JR]

I wouldn't tell anybody including my family or friends.I'd make sure my kids were OK but brothers/sister would never know.I have 40-odd cousins.They and all their offspring would soon come out of the woodwork and be my best "friend" .I'd move to a different area.Then nice house,preferably with land/woodland.Couple of Supercars(Lambo/Aston Martin/McClaren,couple of runaround cars(Range Rover,Bentley) couple of Superbikes,couple more bikes and a really nice custom VW T6.I'd buy three or four new rifles too.
I'd have a Holiday home in The Lake District,One in France and an Villa in Mallorca with bike(s) kept at each one.
I'd donate an annual sum to the two charities I support.I'd visit at least two new countries every year until I got bored.
£170m should see me through and if there was owt left when I pegged it I'd leave it to my kids.
I wouldn't even phone work to hand my notice in,I'd just never go again

[Cyril Haearn]

'Hello Sir, this is the lottery hotline speaking, I am afraid there has been a mistake. You won 170 pounds only'

[djnotts]

£10m to the Remain campaign to try and help the decent half of the UK population. Family comprises only 2 kids, 2 grandkids and 2 nieces, so they'd get quite a lot. Maybe half a dozen friends a few '00 grand. Biggish bungalow, with big garage + accommodation for chauffeur - to drive me and a nice bike to places too far for me to ride! And somewhere by the sea in Barmouth, my favourite place. And try very hard to stay off the drink, else my likely life span of a couple of years would get even shorter!

And with no chance of living the necessary 6 (?) years, half straight to the Exchequer!

[djnotts]

PS I didn't win it....

[Cyril Haearn]

Barmouth/Abermawddach, Plus One!
I should pay for a high bank to keep the sea out so Fairbourne need not be evacuated when the sea rises

[Tangled Metal]

I wrote a long reply but it got lost when I didn't press send so here goes again.

I'd work 6 months then unofficially retire telling my employer and colleagues I'm changing career or some sort of deflection story. Real reason is to spend more time with the family.

We'd buy a modest house with a garden and garage very near to where we live now. That's so our 7 year old son can stay at his primary school. Nothing that makes it look like we've won a big lottery win.

I'd drop and pick up our son from school every day but do my own hobbies in between. School holidays would be spent travelling, cycle touring, backpacking, etc. Travel broadens the mind so I want our son to benefit from this kind of education.

Talking of which I'd go on a series of immersive language courses to try and see just how many languages I can become fluent in. I'll also try and help my son learn languages too. I think it's a valuable skill and one I regret not having.

I'd have a purpose built, secure bike shed built. It might need our neighbour's to be bought out and their house knocked down for it.

I'd get our van fully converted but not bling as we'd want to be stealthy rich. Later on I might buy and convert a better van and bling that up a bit instead.

Now everyone thinks about charity. I could give money to any charity that grabbed my attention but that's probably not a good use of the money. Since in don't want to spend my capital only living off the interest / growth I would need advice financially but also for charity purposes too. I have ideas but not sure how to go about it.

My idea is to buy a bit of land, a forest nearby and learn to manage it in a sustainable way to encourage nature. I'd look to making it a community resource. Even set up forest schools to encourage outdoor interest among kids. I'd like to set up similar community forests across the area near me if possible, even further afield. If possible I'd do things around that basic idea.

It all sounds daft. Even if I win this level of money would I have it in me to do something worthwhile with my time and money? Could I do these charity ideas? I don't know but that money would give me the opportunity to try. It's not about legacy more about giving the natural world a thank you. By trying to get more people interested in the natural world perhaps locally people might work harder to protect it and care for it local.

I'd also like to study more. Perhaps archeology. Maybe work on digs as a volunteer at times.

Money doesn't make you happy but what you do might. Money allows you to do things. If what i do makes me happy after Tue win then money has contributed indirectly. The money hasn't made me happy but my chosen actions might have made me happy. Happiness is up to you if you have the financial means to win it.

Enough with the fantasy. I have one unchecked lottery ticket that might be worth about 3 or 4 million. Think I'll go and find it now. It might allow me to do a cut price version of the above.

[Tail End Charlie]

I'd buy a massive turnip.

[francovendee]

After making sure my immediate family were cared for and we had enough to continue our modest lifestyle I'd like to think I'd give the rest to charities.
Unfortunately money has a way of changing people and their views so maybe I'd change also

[661-Pete]

Enough with the fantasy. I have one unchecked lottery ticket that might be worth about 3 or 4 million. Think I'll go and find it now. It might allow me to do a cut price version of the above.

Many years ago, I was blessed with a Line Manager with whom .... let's just say .... I didn't see eye to eye on various matters. Well, one year, as Xmas was approaching, a card appeared on my desk. Nothing unexpected, one might suppose; anyway later in the day I opened it and it was indeed an Xmas card from The Boss. And enclosed with the card was a Lottery scratchcard. The Boss's idea of a 'present', I suppose.

Now, as I've said before, I don't 'do' lottery. Not in any form. I'm not the only one on here who says that, it seems! Anyway, probably in part due to the antipathy between myself and said The Boss, I was absolutely incensed. I felt in half a mind to storm into his office, fling the scratchcard back at him and say "I don't do your poxy lottery ****, thank you very much!"

But I restrained myself. Instead I merely pushed the scratchcard to the back of my desk, where it slipped down behind a filing cabinet. Months later, long after the card had 'expired', I retrieved it whilst moving things around. Curiosity got the better of me, I suppose, so I picked it up and 'scratched' it.

It hadn't won anything, thankfully. It would have been ironic if it had! Am I showing signs of weakness?

Absolutely not. This event was a one-off. And I can still honestly claim, I've never bought a lottery ticket or scratchcard...

[Tangled Metal]

Give away to charity? Which ones? How much to each? Do you drop a bit every time a charity grabs your attention? Or do you focus on something that might impact one area more significantly? Think of the Gates foundation and anti malaria activities. Anti mosquito nets to malaria areas saves lives which impact the countries in ways you can't predict but might guess at.

Money has potential for great good or dissipation and little long term effect. This would be significant amounts you could give away. I know it's pie in the sky thinking but a little more thought on charity might get more efficient and effective results.

No harm thinking more of these things, right? Might never be needed but just might.

[Tangled Metal]

I used to forget to check my lottery tickets. So I stopped getting them. I suppose the dream of free millions, well millions for a quid, was what buying one meant. Now I can be 100% sure I won't win the lottery so no fantasy thoughts (except on this thread of course).

[Cyril Haearn]

Charity? Best just give it to the exchequer, nearly enough to pay for half a day NHS
Not much really