If I had a billion dollars, I'd buy an hour of TV air time on the major news networks 5 days before the election.  I'd sit in front of the camera and personally read outloud the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence.  

Then I'd pay off all my debt and donate the rest to charity. :)

Oh, and I'd also do it in 2010 & 2012 and then have someone else do it.



What would YOU do with that much money?

I would be way more selfish than you Melly!! Sorry!!

I'd pay my parents & sister's mortgages off and would then travel around the world for a year, seeing all the amazing places in the world and meeting amazing people - backpacking, not luxury.

Then I'd come back and do something I've ALWAYS wanted to do - get a decent sized piece of land, build some big kennels/stables and just do some animal rescue work. Anything from hedgehogs to donkeys, and there'd be a special place for the greyhounds who have a very special place in my heart! The interest from what I had left would be enough to keep us ticking over and maybe even get a bit of help in.

There'd be a few homes dotted around the world. Maybe a yacht and a few nice cars. I'd have to buy Stephen an Aston Martin. He loves them - I think he'd sell his first-born for one!

And of course, Deej would get a nice chunk so he'd NEVER have to worry about fundraising again.  ;)

I love questions like these!

Is that billion dollars before or after taxes?

Redd wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 4:49pm:

Is that billion dollars before or after taxes?

Taxes are illegal. ;)

Redd wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 4:49pm:

Is that billion dollars before or after taxes?

Money just don't go as far as it used to does it Redd... ;)

Melissa wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 4:26pm:

If I had a billion dollars, I'd buy an hour of TV air time on the major news networks 5 days before the election.  I'd sit in front of the camera and personally read outloud the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence.   Then I'd pay off all my debt and donate the rest to charity. :) Oh, and I'd also do it in 2010 & 2012 and then have someone else do it. What would YOU do with that much money?

Watch Showtime 5 days before the election in 2008, 2010 and 2012.  LOL  :P

J/K  

Luv ya, Melly!   :-*

LMAO Mike!! ;D

BarbaraD wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 4:52pm:

Redd wrote on Oct 14th, 2008 at 4:49pm: Is that billion dollars before or after taxes? Money just don't go as far as it used to does it Redd... ;)

You got that right Barb.  

I was thinking pay off my debts and buy a Villa in Tuscany.   ;D

First and foremost, I would make huge donations to the website as well as OUCH.  

I would make sure that my parents and Phil's parents were taken care of, like if they ever needed to be in a nursing home.  I would make sure that my niece and nephew, as well as any future nieces and nephews, would be able to go to college.  I would pay off my brother and sisters mortgages, as well as my sister in laws.

Then I would go hog wild on doing things that Phil and I have always wanted to do.  I would get us a couple of Harley's.  I've always wanted a GMC Yukon.  I would buy myself as many Coach purses as I want.  I would find some land on a lake and build us our dream house.  Not a huge mansion or anything, but something that we already have in mind.  Big enough to have visitors.  I would do some traveling.

I'm sure that I could go on and on.

It's nice to dream.

Hugs,

Jen

Hmmm . . . first thing I'd do after winning(?) a billion dollars is change my phone numbers and hire a lawyer and a bodyguard.

And then I'd disappear.

I'd bail out a distressed bank.

Our feckless leaders seem to think it's a good idea, so who am I to argue with them?

Best,

George

First I'd buy a real big frickin' backhoe, cos' that's a hellluva lot of money to bury in the backyard.

If you had a billion dollars, could I borrow some? ;)

wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 6:52pm:

If you had a billion dollars, could I borrow some? ;)

Depends...could ya pay it back? ;)

Melissa wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 6:58pm:

wrote on Oct 14th, 2008 at 6:52pm: If you had a billion dollars, could I borrow some? ;) Depends...could ya pay it back? ;)

I have a feeling that she is a rep from ACORN!  :D ;D :D

Depends, you wouldn't charge loneshark interest rates would you. I really like my legs unbroken.

I would build a place in a far remote area and live like Ted Kazinsky, only I wouldn't mail bombs and stuff.
;D

BMoneeTheMoneeMan wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 7:05pm:

I would build a place in a far remote area and live like Ted Kazinsky, only I wouldn't mail bombs and stuff. ;D

No, but you would pay me to do that....LOL  :D

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;D ;D ;D

That is the very first thing I would do. ;)

I'd probably be able to pay off my bar tab :D

Jimmers

Hypothingy transplant!  Then divide the rest among anyone that has touch my life.

wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 7:04pm:

Depends, you wouldn't charge loneshark interest rates would you. I really like my legs unbroken.

I wouldn't charge more than 5%.  How's that sound. :)

Redd wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 4:55pm:

BarbaraD wrote on Oct 14th, 2008 at 4:52pm: Redd wrote on Oct 14th, 2008 at 4:49pm: Is that billion dollars before or after taxes? Money just don't go as far as it used to does it Redd... ;) You got that right Barb.   I was thinking pay off my debts and buy a Villa in Tuscany.   ;D

THERE IS NOTHING AVAILABLE IN TUSCANY.  Don;t even look.


As for me, Id pay off all friends and family debt.

Id buy a piece of land and let my wife design a dream house.

I would hire a personal trainer and a nanny for my kids and spend 24/7 getting into good health.

I would pay off all medical bills for my friends here.  Id also give DJ all he needs for this site.  

Id buy Jonny a beer.  I'm not sure I was smart enough to do that last time I met him.

I would donate a bunch of money to special education cooperatives for computers and other technical things they cant afford.

Man this is fun.

I dump a bunch into the stock market.  It being so low right now, I would assume an influx of money couldnt hurt.

Id buy up a ton of real estate.  Renovate all the houses and sell them as low as possible to families who work hard but are down on their luck.

Id become an oil-producing state.

This is fun.

I would buy this building in town that has been empty for a long long time and build a poker hall.  It would be a not for profit business plan.  Any proceeds would go to charity and players could form leagues and play tournies for points. (not for gambling)

There are charities I would love to give to (doesnt everyone have to say this).

Id start funds for my kids college, retirement and another for them for starting a family of their own.

OK, I got more, but this was all the fun I allowed myself.

OUCH gets some of course. Travel would be my thing for a couple of years. Get a airplane, make sure my neice has one helluva education, and give enough to PBS on the condition that they stop all those the damned fund drives in the middle of their good stuff.

Or: Blow it on broads and cheap liquor

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 10:36pm:

Or: Blow it on broads and cheap liquor Charlie

Ya got it backwards Charlie:

Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste.
Tug McGraw

My friend Danny Lewin really did become a billionaire during Internet bubble.  I remember asking him what he planned to do now that he literally had a billion dollars.  He had two young sons at the time.  His response was that it made him very nervous, that it put a lot of responsibility on his shoulders to be responsible.

Sadly, he was one of the very first persons killed on Flight 11, the first to hit the WTC.  He happened to be sitting in the First Class section (obviously), seat 9B.  He was a former Israeli commando, so who knows what really happened, but later they determined that Danny was stabbed to death during the flight by Satam al Suqami who was seated in the row directly behind him with Mohammed Atta.

I had spoken to Danny the night before as he was supposed to attend the opening of my Jazz club in Boston.  He called me to say he was required in LA the next day, but that we would get together when he came back.

His widow and sons are rich, but I can't imagine they are too thrilled about it.

This, for me, puts wealth in perspective.  It don't mean much.

-Shawn

I'd pray for wisdom.  

It is fun to dream, but that much money would change you, your life, the people around you, and make it all about the money.  I'll stick to having what I have.......middle class with a beautiful family and close friends whom I would not trade for anything in the world.

Beth  :)

My friend was with me when I was shopping my favourite soup back in UK - Tesco value vegetable soup can - and said: I bet you would still buy that very same soup if you'd be a billionaire.
I said: Of course I would, I love this soup!

Money would not change the things I really enjoy in this life: feeling happy, writing, looking at the guinea pigs, taking long walks, spending time with my closeones, watching my favourite movies and TV-shows and reading.

What it would change, however, would be what I could happily spend a year at home, writing that novel I've been wanting to write. I could get those bit more expensive things at the grocery store when I feel like it, get that handbag of my dreams, take a nice long vacation at those places I've been dreaming to go and buy the perfect house when I'll find it.

Naturally OUCH and ch.com would get donations and some other charity organizations as well.

Sanna

I would pay off my all my bills, buy the property around me and build three homes. I would give Deveny one, Heather one, and my Mother one.  I would give each of them so much a month to pay their bills and live on. I would buy Buddy and I a big RV and we would follow Nascar around.  I would buy me a little car.
I would give to to three Orgs, O.U.C.H, Human Society of the USA,  I would also give to a childrens hospital.Then I would rent a motel for a week and invite all of you. I forgot for just me I would have two teeth pulled or fixed.
Then I would be broke again LOL

I'd probably sit on my hill and keep taking in strays. I'm pretty content and don't know of anything I want or need (except maybe paying the bills on time and not worrying about stuff like that).

Don't even think I'd tell anyone about it except my attorney and financial advisor (let them handle the headaches and send me an allowance).

Hugs BD

I'd buy that CH island we were talking about this week.  Move to Kentucky tomorrow and come visit you guys several times a year.  PLUS pay off all my kids debts.

BMoneeTheMoneeMan wrote on Oct 14^th, 2008 at 7:05pm:

I would build a place in a far remote area and live like Ted Kazinsky, only I wouldn't mail bombs and stuff. ;D

lets hope not!  ;) they found him about 2 1/4 mile away from our cabin. Scary stuff and I am pretty sure you would end up very stinky so at least allow the funds for a shower.  [smiley=bath.gif]

Anyway.... I would definately go buy a new vehicle first off then buy out the people who are currently living in my dream home!  :) Wow the possibilities would be endless. Pretty sure I wouldn't tell anyone that wasn't immediate family or close friends. Just gifve suprise gifts to those who need or deserve it or have helped me out.

Aubmari