Smart Lottery Lessons
1
Protect Your Privacy,
Control Your Story
Jim and Lisa
Robinson Controlled Their Story by Going on TV. Image (c) Business Wire
While you are mulling over your options, it's important (though
excruciatingly hard!) to keep mum about your big win. Although it's tempting to
shout your news to the world, as soon as people hear that you're about to
become a multi-millionaire, you'll become a target.
In order to be able to get your ducks in a row before becoming
the focus of the world's attention, don't tell anyone outside of an extremely
small circle of trusted friends, relatives, and advisers about your Powerball
jackpot win.
For example Maureen Smith and her husband David Kaltschmidt
kept going to work as usual after finding out that they were going to be
fabulously rich soon, and didn't even tell their
adult children that they had won the Powerball jackpot.
In addition, start thinking ahead about the image that you are
going to project when reporters and other interested parties start looking into
your life. Experts suggest that you scrub your social media accounts, or delete
them altogether.
Also think about how you want to be contacted, because a lot of
people are likely to be reaching out to you. Maureen Smith, for example, set up
a contact at her law firm to respond to all inquiries and requests.
Don't forget that not only are Powerball winners going to be in
the limelight whether they like it or not, but so are the people they talk
about publicly, so it's a good idea to be careful about what you say.
During their press conference after
claiming her Powerball win, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt refused to
answer several personal questions like what personal meaning the numbers they
played had to them and details about their children.
Meanwhile, Marvin and Mae Acosta were so careful of their
privacy that they moved out of their home the day before claiming their prize
and refused to speak with the press at all.
Being respectful of the privacy of your children, your family,
and your friends will shield them from unwanted attention.
2
Don't Make Major Changes in
Your Life
Powerball
Winners Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt Planned Only Minor Life Changes.
Image (c) Florida Play online
lottery.
If someone were to ask you what you would do once you became a
Powerball winner, you might say something like, "quit my job!" or
"sell my house and get a more luxurious one." But the experts suggest
that you don't make any big moves immediately.
While winning a few hundred million dollars might make you feel like
you haven't a care in the world, the reality is different (as these lottery curse victims could
tell you).
There are a few good reasons not to make a major change
immediately. For one thing, people need structure in their lives, and quitting
your job and totally changing what you do with your life isn't really that good
for most people.
That might be why John and Lisa Robinson both planned to keep
their jobs, despite their $327.8 million windfall. John said, "You can’t
sit down and lay down and not do nothing anymore. Because how long are you
going to last?"
David Kaltschmidt said that he would be retiring from his job at
Northrup Grummond, but that was already in the works. "We are not going to
go party. We are still going to live the same lives," he said. The big
purchase he was planning first was simply replacing his broken-down truck.
Powerball winners should also work with their advisers to set a
budget that ensures that their funds last. It's surprising how fast hundreds of
millions of dollars can disappear if your money habits aren't sound. It's a
good idea to use your Play lottery online winnings as
your "seed corn" and spend only the interest you
get on your investments.
3
Be Prepared for Emotional
Turmoil
The Attention
that Comes with a Powerball Win Can Be Overwhelming. Andrew Hobbs / Getty
Images
It's natural to think that Powerball winners feel nothing but
excitement and joy after winning a few hundred million dollars. But the truth
is that winning a huge sum of money has a lot of consequences, and not all of
them are pleasant.
Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt said that they were dreading
the press conference and attendant publicity. David said that he had lost 10
pounds in the month since they had found out that they were winners, whereas
Maureen said that "she was no longer in a quiet place" and that she
was "afraid it will make me less friendly because of all the
worrying."
Meanwhile, John and Lisa Robinson said that they had been
sleepless after realizing they were winners. "More stress comes with that
ticket," Lisa said.
After claiming their prize, things continued to be difficult for
the Robinsons. They were the target of a frivolous lawsuit by a
felon who has sued thousands of people in the hopes of getting a share of their
cash and their names were used in a wide-spread Facebook pfishing scam.
On top of all of that, Powerball winners have to worry about
people befriending them just for their money, being hounded by charities and
people with sob stories, the responsibility that comes with that much money,
and more.
4
Quick Pick or Choose Your
Own? How Powerball Winners Pick Numbers.
How Do
Powerball Winners Buy Their Tickets?. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images
Many lottery players want to know whether they should pick their
own numbers or use quick pick to have a computer randomly choose their numbers.
Technically, the odds of winning should be equal regardless of
which method you choose (although a lot of people rely on birth dates, so the
chances of having to share a jackpot if you choose those numbers are higher).
The three winners of the 2016 Powerball jackpot bear that out.
Two of the winners used the quick pick method, while the third, Maureen Smith,
played the same numbers that she's been playing for about 30 years.
So there's no clear answer here, neither way has a much better chance of winning the lottery. Pick
whichever method is more fun for you.
