steviedeluxe

But will it make them happy?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15225014

Fredbargate

That really depends on your or their definition of happy

bil

Well, 101 mil would make me pretty damn happy.

Dick Dasterdly

Maybe they're already happy and it will simply disrupt their lives.

bil

Then they should give it to me.

Simples!

Dick Dasterdly

Same thing applies.
You seem to be living very happily in your own personal near perfect little parallel universe.
Why change it and have the whole world and his wife on your back wanting a piece of the action, not to mention all the unwanted media attention ?
Please don't tell me with the best will in the world that it's possible to keep such a thing under wraps.

bil

I think you can cope with it a lot better if you have brains. It's possible to remain anonymous, especially if you mix a little truth in there. I'd say I had a win, just not that it was a big one. That would explain the gifts I'd be able to make to friends and family that had problems and that I could free.

As you say, I have a pretty comfortable life here, and I don't crave a whole lot of status symbols. So, it wouldn't change my life much in some ways.

jackytoo

I think the myth that money doesn't bring happiness was put around by the rich in the past. After all if you don't want it think of the pleasure you could get dishing it out. Many have won large amounts and we never hear of them, we just hear about the ones who probably had problems anyway.

Dick Dasterdly

Yes much the same and I have no cravings for luxury yachts, ferraris, or even mansions with moats or duck houses.

Happiness is a state of mind though possibly contentment would be a more apt expression, as I doubt if anyone can be happy 100% of the time.

I still think it would be much better to split these huge prizes up and hopefully give many more ppl. a little more contentment or peace of mind.

Dick Dasterdly

I wouldn't say it's the norm, but I've read numerous stories of ppl.having big wins on the old football pools and ending up with virtually nothing having had their whole lives disrupted badly, falling out with family and friends and all the rest.
It could possibly be argued it was mostly their own stupid fault, but nevertheless it does seem to have happened quite often.

bil

Spot on. Money + brains + common sense = happiness (most of the time)

bil

Big prizes make more money, because people seem to think that the bigger the pot, the more likely they are to win.

bil

Without wishing to seem elitist, I think it's a class thing. Middleclass invest a windfall like that, whereas working class tend to feel that in becoming rich, they have 'betrayed their class', and the only way to redeem themselves in the eyes of their peers is to piss it up the wall asap.

Dick Dasterdly

What about Rooney who with his endless pile of lolly never seems to be very happy either on the field or off it ?

Can only presume that he's a little short in the brain/common-sense dept. especially judging by last nights ridiculous tantrum, though rumour has it that his old man had two grand on him at fairly long odds getting red carded.

anonimouse

Well I watched a program about all the big lotto winners, one guy bought his pals a house and holidays all over the world and now they don't even talk to them, One was even taking a fn old friend to court over some mess over money he gave them.

So the best thing to do is Learn from their mistakes.