So what would you do with the money if you won the Powerball lotto?

[JackRiddler]

169. It's not $500 million. Advertising fraud.

Or is the Powerball somehow different from the Mega or the normal Lotto?

The claimed jackpot amount in Mega and Lotto is based on the deposit of a sum in government bonds that then yield interest enough to make 26 annual payouts for 1/26 of the jackpot each. (If that's true here, it's around $24 mn a year, but pre-tax! And they will withdraw all taxes from the payout in advance, unlike with other rich people's money.)

On the lump sum payout for Mega/Lotto, the winner gets only the sum to be deposited in bonds, minus taxes (about 45% total in New York City), leaving no more than a third of the announced jackpot.

So again, if that's how the Power also works, the actual lump-sum payout wil be about $160 to $170 million. Just saying - who cares if you win, right? But the lottery purveyors understand the power of announcing these higher jackpots as though that's what the winner gets. It means many more people lining up.

So since it's got porn power, I can never resist playing at these sums -- ONE ticket, no more. (All you're buying is the masturbatory pleasure of spending the money in your head, so again, it's a kind of porn.)

First ten million will be donated to orgs that confront femicide in Latin America and set up African villages with sustainable fresh water. (This will require research.)

Another ten is the family, friends and selective cause giveaway fund. (Should I buy DU? What's a fair market price?) I will help save WBAI, if they agree to move out of the ridiculous money sinkhole office at Wall Street (but keep the Empire State Building broadcast antenna license).

Ten sets me up extremely well for life, real estate, holdings, libraries, work stations, retirement/insurance/etc.

The rest is project funds. What are the projects? Mainly politics and economic reform ideas but not saying here, since the chances are greater than zero that I will be the one.