When the first $1 million New York Lottery jackpot came around, I was around 15. $1 million was an absolute fortune back then, and my friend Cliff really wanted us to go in together on some tickets.
But I said no. Even though I always dreamed of making it big, I didn’t want it that way, without any work.
This little story has turned into an ongoing debate in my family:
“If you could take a 'success pill' that would result in the following two scenarios, which would you choose?”
You receive a fortune instantly.
OR
You work really hard for years and eventually become very successful, earning a fortune.
To me, there’s only one right answer.
To me, life is all about the journey, not the destination.
If you somehow manage to beat the odds and win the lottery, you'll most likely have a whole new set of problems to deal with. Life isn't going to get any easier.
Family members and friends will start asking you for money, and there's going to be a lot of pressure as to where you decide to allocate that new money. Just look at some of these stories I came across via an article on Business Insider:
Bud Post lost $16.2 million within a nightmarish year — his own brother put out a hit on him.
William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but was $1 million in debt within a year.
"I wish it never happened," Post said. "It was totally a nightmare."
A former girlfriend successfully sued him for a share of his winnings and his brother was arrested for hiring a hit man to kill him in the hopes that he'd inherit a share of the winnings.
After sinking money into various family businesses, Post sank into debt and spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector.
Bud now lives quietly on $450 a month and food stamps.
Lara and Roger Griffiths bought their dream home ... and then life fell apart.
Before they won a $2.76 million lottery jackpot in 2005, Lara and Roger Griffiths hardly ever argued.
Then they won and bought a million-dollar house and a Porsche.
But six years after their win, Roger drove away in the Porsche after Lara confronted him over emails suggesting that he was interested in another woman.
Their 14-year marriage was over, a freak fire gutted their house, and every penny of their fortune was gone.
Agreed, but this week I have thought about all the good I could do for my family, my college and many, many charities!