Could You Handle Being A Billionaire?

[Hidden In Him]

There is a scripture that says, “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." (Proverbs 1:32-33)

According to reports, the winning ticket for 1.28 billion dollar lottery was sold in Illinois yesterday, and I've noticed people talking about it over the last few days. Even my wife was teasing me about buying a couple tickets, which we never do. I teased back, "I don't want that crap!" and told her if we ever became billionaires she'd be an absolute mess, Lol. She'd be buying clothes, expensive cars, eating out relentlessly, traveling the planet. And she'd try convincing me to go with her and I hate traveling, so after a few trips she'd probably start going with her sister and other family members instead, and I'd never see her again, Lol.

In all seriousness, here's the question: How would you handle becoming a billionaire? Maybe better put, could you handle it? What would be the effect on your children? On your church relationships? Would it make you a better person, or would it make you or your family more distant from God and more consumed with the things of this world?

There are many stories out there about people who won lotteries and their life changed for the worse in many ways. I'll include one below to highlight how the greed of people around you can take over. But maybe you would have the answers for how to make it work. If so, how? I present the thread as food for thought on how we would handle temptation if it ever came our way.

God bless,
Hidden In Him

 

[Hidden In Him]

I'll include a few more videos, one positive and one negative, to give both sides of the coin and maybe incite some comments:

 

[LearningToLetGo]

For most people, winning 1.2 billion dollars would be a death sentence. Friends and family would come from near and far to beg money, as would con artists, grifters, kidnappers, thieves and murderers. Well meaning people likewise would stream in to protect you from the above. Your life would never be your own again.

It's far better to receive a modest gain, such as $5,000 per week for life than a billion dollars.

 

[Dropship]

Could You Handle Being A Billionaire?

Yeah dead easy, first I'd buy myself a decent house, then I'd have great fun giving big chunks of cash to various charities and good causes.
PS- I read in the paper the other day that somebody had won about £190 million, but i'd rather see the lottery companies limit wins to £1 million, then there'd be hundreds of million-pound winners each draw.
I mean, who the heck needs £190 mill, it's crazy!

 

[dev553344]

I agree with @LearningToLetGo. You'd probably get burglars and killers trying to steal your money so you'd need protection and it would make life stressful.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Yeah dead easy, first I'd buy myself a decent house, then I'd have great fun giving big chunks of cash to various charities and good causes.
PS- I read in the paper the other day that somebody had won about £190 million, but i'd rather see the lottery companies limit wins to £1 million, then there'd be hundreds of million-pound winners each draw.
I mean, who the heck needs £190 mill, it's crazy!

That's actually not a bad idea. Like if they kept doling out more winning tickets to keep the money being distributed.

 

[Nancy]

There is a scripture that says, “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." (Proverbs 1:32-33)

According to reports, the winning ticket for 1.28 billion dollar lottery was sold in Illinois yesterday, and I've noticed people talking about it over the last few days. Even my wife was teasing me about buying a couple tickets, which we never do. I teased back, "I don't want that crap!" and told her if we ever became billionaires she'd be an absolute mess, Lol. She'd be buying clothes, expensive cars, eating out relentlessly, traveling the planet. And she'd try convincing me to go with her and I hate traveling, so after a few trips she'd probably start going with her sister and other family members instead, and I'd never see her again, Lol.

In all seriousness, here's the question: How would you handle becoming a billionaire? Maybe better put, could you handle it? What would be the effect on your children? On your church relationships? Would it make you a better person, or would it make you or your family more distant from God and more consumed with the things of this world?

There are many stories out there about people who won lotteries and their life changed for the worse in many ways. I'll include one below to highlight how the greed of people around you can take over. But maybe you would have the answers for how to make it work. If so, how? I present the thread as food for thought on how we would handle temptation if it ever came our way.

God bless,
Hidden In Him

Money does ugly things to people. I know I would definitely share with my family and other places but, that kind of money scares me!

 

[Hidden In Him]

I agree with @LearningToLetGo. You'd probably get burglars and killers trying to steal your money so you'd need protection and it would make life stressful.

I've heard of heard of multi-millionaires living very modest lives to avoid detection, or at least go under the radar of most people. That's definitely something I'd do. I'd be generous with friends, with ministries I thought were good investments, and I'd try to live a very unobtrusive life.

And if my name got out that I won a $1,000,000,000 lottery, I'd go visit a bunch of casinos and frequent a bunch of brokers (without actually spending much), and then fabricate a story that I gambled a lot of it away and wasted a lot on bad investments. Then I'd visit a bunch of churches and donate to the good ones, say I donated most of the rest to ministries, and as a result I was back to living a relatively normal life.

They'd buy it, Lol, especially if I lived under my actual means.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Money does ugly things to people. I know I would definitely share with my family and other places but, that kind of money scares me!
That kind of money would scare me!

Me, too.

Not so much what it would do to me spiritually because my priorities are lined up pretty good, but I can assure you I would have a tough time managing my weight. I look at rich people sometimes when we go out to eat, and I've often wondered how overweight I would be if we could afford to eat out at restaurants every night.

Let's just say it wouldn't be pretty, LoL.

 

[LearningToLetGo]

I'd find the largest law firm in my state and write a contract to sell them the winning tickets for 10-20% of the disbursement. Then they would be listed as the winner and my name would be nowhere to be found. I'd also hire the second largest law firm for a million dollars to write and witness the above contract. In no way would my name be listed as the winner. Nope.

 

[dev553344]

I've heard of heard of multi-millionaires living very modest lives to avoid detection, or at least go under the radar of most people. That's definitely something I'd do. I'd be generous with friends, with ministries I thought were good investments, and I'd try to live a very unobtrusive life.

And if my name got out that I won a $1,000,000,000 lottery, I'd go visit a bunch of casinos and frequented a bunch of brokers (without actually spending much), and then fabricate a story that I gambled a lot of it away and wasted a lot on bad investments. Then I'd visit a bunch of churches and donate to the good ones, say I donated most of the rest to ministries, and as a result I was back to living a relatively normal life.

They'd buy it, Lol, especially if I lived under my actual means.

Hmmm. Well, that's the prob. The lottery usually requires that your named. Only certain states don't require it. From what I heard a while back.

 

[Mink57]

There is a scripture that says, “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." (Proverbs 1:32-33)

According to reports, the winning ticket for 1.28 billion dollar lottery was sold in Illinois yesterday, and I've noticed people talking about it over the last few days. Even my wife was teasing me about buying a couple tickets, which we never do. I teased back, "I don't want that crap!" and told her if we ever became billionaires she'd be an absolute mess, Lol. She'd be buying clothes, expensive cars, eating out relentlessly, traveling the planet. And she'd try convincing me to go with her and I hate traveling, so after a few trips she'd probably start going with her sister and other family members instead, and I'd never see her again, Lol.

In all seriousness, here's the question: How would you handle becoming a billionaire? Maybe better put, could you handle it? What would be the effect on your children? On your church relationships? Would it make you a better person, or would it make you or your family more distant from God and more consumed with the things of this world?

There are many stories out there about people who won lotteries and their life changed for the worse in many ways. I'll include one below to highlight how the greed of people around you can take over. But maybe you would have the answers for how to make it work. If so, how? I present the thread as food for thought on how we would handle temptation if it ever came our way.

God bless,
Hidden In Him

Ugh...

If I got that kind of money right away, I'd be beside myself. Having that kind of money would certainly solve some problems. But as for the rest of it well...

Didn't Forrest Gump say something like, "Momma said that having a certain amount of money is one thing, but the rest is showing off."

My ex-husband once asked me, what I would do if I won a million dollars. I said, "Probably come home and do the dishes..."

I would probably make SOME changes in my life, but not enough to say to the world, "Hey! I'm a BILLIONAIRE!" Even if I had a billion, I wouldn't be out 'partying'...or, doing some exaggerated spending.

One thing I would NOT want was for the money to 'go to my head'.

Maybe that's why I don't have that much money in the first place...

 

[Nancy]

Me, too.

Not so much what it would do to me spiritually because my priorities are lined up pretty good, but I can assure you I would have a tough time managing my weight. I look at rich people sometimes when we go out to eat, and I've often wondered how overweight I would be if we could afford to eat out at restaurants every night.

Let's just say it wouldn't be pretty, LoL.

Laughingoutloud

 

[Enoch111]

In all seriousness, here's the question: How would you handle becoming a billionaire?

For a Christian the main issue would be to understand clearly that the billions really belong to the Lord, therefore they must be invested in the Lord's work. So if the money was put into a charitable Christian trust (with faithful trustees managing it), then the issue of being a billionaire would be moot. That person (as a trustee) would simply take a living wage out of the funds, and invest the rest in the Lord's work (which can include a wide range of ministries worldwide including humanitarian ministries).

 

[Philip James]

But maybe you would have the answers for how to make it work. If so, how?

Hmm interesting

Well first 10% to the Church

So 900 million to play with, id pay off any and all debts of myself and my family members, and make sure we all have enoug to comfortably retire wherever we wish, set up trust funds for my kids and probably for neices and nephews too

So if that includes buying myself I nice acreage in Canada, a winter home somewhere warm, and my fancy RV to drove across this beautiful continent..

Hmm lets say 10 mil for that..

Id prob also set up a family Trust fund to care for my family for generations to come (be interesting deciding what conditions I would put on family members accessing/managing that fund in the future.

Lets go 190 mil on that so 700 mill left..

Hmm 250 mill donated with the express purpose of maintaining/rebuilding the Cathedral in Wpg

Purchase property as it comes up for sale near parishes in my diocese with the express purpose of making them avail to familles in need in those parishes.. This would be an pngoing project including maintaing acquired properties..

250 million

400 million i would place in trust with procedes used to aid charitble organizions first in my community and then around the world.


Sounds like a lot of work though.. Prob have to hire a team of lawyers to get anything done... Oops there goes another 300 million...

That was fun to play with.

Pax et Bonum

 

[Taken]

Could I handle being a billionaire?

Yes. Who has thought, what if? I think it would be marvelous to pick random downtrodden strangers and help them with needs for their comfort and well being as a blessing from God.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I have no interest in such being a Billionaire, to old for all that now. It would only mean a lot of hard work for me in fact !

I would not give a cent to anyone ! haha well the point is I would not give a cent to charity unless I was in charge of how it was used totally.
I have seen how charity money is wasted big time and such full on evil that goes on with such. you would be lucky to get 10c in the Dollar to someone in need. always someone is abusing such.

I do not want or need anyone giving me the hassle.

I know mates who have got very rich and become clowns. Stuck up and changed them totally, I would say that such was the way that they seen the majority looked to themselves ? so they catered to the majority or to a class and were not of themselves anymore but only that of a character ? they want to be seen in a type of light ?
This bloke who was a best friend and said to me, that he seen himself as a @#%&^! in his previous days ? I have not bothered to question him totally about what he is truly on about, but I suspect that he is just up himself that much that's why ?
He does not like to be seen with anyone who is not a millionaire because such reflects on him badly with his peers.

Now my dad had what would be a billionaire nowadays, mate in the 70's 80's and this dude was not stuck up at all, as he was to wealthy to give a rats what anyone thought of him at all ! He did not have a peer group ? he walked about like a bum and one would not know he was wealthy at all. real good bloke and down to earth genuine as.

I would help people out, as in so as to kick them off if they have potential in business etc.
I would not give money to dregs at all, because they only squander everything with no regard at all, seen many of them who refuse to work and complain 24/7 not to mention they laugh at people who do work and undermine all such people who are the very backbone of the Nation, people who go above and beyond duty, that many will not do. They live like Royalty with everyone serving them, yet they would not serve anyone themselves, many get all the welfare but still go out stealing with no regards of others. The Jails are full of such people. not to mention some people have the poor Johnny Mum or grandmother or Aunty, who feel sorry for the degenerate bum laying about smoking pot etc all day, who they feed like a pet Parrot say ? when the real need is to kick him in the tail and to get a job and grow up and be a man for Christ Sake. enough of all this nonsense that everyone other is the problem !

The other hand is one who can't work because they can't is a totally different story, I would help them make the best of it they can, but the best of it truly is to help one come to Christ Jesus, that way they have the God given Gift ! that we all truly need. People need Virtue !

 

[Rita]

I don’t do the lotteries over here in the uk, but I would not want to have that kind of money. I would love to be able to buy all my friends and family decent homes , so I could handle enough money that would allow that to happen. To release others from poverty , but money does strange things to people and it’s impossible to say how it would impact me in the long run…..but I have no rich relatives so it ain’t going to happen !! Lol

 

[farouk]

I don’t do the lotteries over here in the uk, but I would not want to have that kind of money. I would love to be able to buy all my friends and family decent homes , so I could handle enough money that would allow that to happen. To release others from poverty , but money does strange things to people and it’s impossible to say how it would impact me in the long run…..but I have no rich relatives so it ain’t going to happen !! Lol

@Rita The Psalmist could say: "Give me neither poverty nor riches..."