So, you got home and found that you won the state lottery. Now what?

[MothBalls]

What do you do?

I'd go to http://subsim.com/radioroom/ and ask for advice.

Go to work tomorrow?

Call in sick.

Go to the state lottery headquarters bright and early in the morning (a 3 hour drive for me).

No. Not until you talk to at lease three 'financial planners'. You may want to claim the prize in the name of a trust and not as an individual. For a prize that small you don't want to give it all away in taxes. (see below)

Do you drive yourself or hire a town car and a pro driver? (Nothing like getting killed on I-10 on the way to collect $9 million )

Would drive with a friend who you know can drive, doesn't drive like an idiot, doesn't have 100 tickets, a family member probably. A "pro" driver has a $10.00 an hour job, what makes him safe?

Get in touch with a financial advisor?

At lease two of them, and one person who actually has 9 million or more. If a "financial advisor" or stock broker had all the right information, they wouldn't be working as one.

I would talk to a tax accountant, and someone who knows how to keep money. I wouldn't invest it until a few months of research. Never take the advice of one person, and listen closely to the person who actually has made that much money.

Who do you tell? Anyone? No one?

Only people on Subsim, we can be trusted. Nobody else. (It will be 6-8 weeks before you see a dime anyway)

So, you collect the $$$, I assume it goes into multiple bank accounts. What's next? Quit your job? What do you tell them?

Depends if you liked the job, have friends there, of if you hated it and they treated you like crap.

9 mil is not enough to live the rest of your life on, unless you invest 95% of it and only live off of the annuities. But you probably couldn't stay in the job, cause you'd have a shive a git attitude anyway.

What about the wife? Stay married or split the dough 50/50 and start planning parties that would put Hugh Hefner to shame?

Easy answer, do you love her?

How would you invest it?

Carefully, slowly, diversified across multiple sectors in multiple countries. I would focus on making it work for me safely, and not take big risks. Annuities that pay enough to live on.

Might set aside a small amount for a spending spree, the puter/TV/car etc. but remember, you will have to pay taxes and insurance on all the toys. That's how many lotto winners go broke. 9 mil is not as much as you think.

What would you change about your life?

Nothing. Might take a few trips, take a few friends, help any family out that really need it, buy something special for the folks, and send $5,000 in cash to the person who gives you the best advice in this thread.

What's the very first thing you would spend it on?

The oldest profession.