If You Had A Billion Dollars...

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AuthorTopic: If You Had A Billion Dollars...
Shock Trooper
Member # 6102
Profile #0
If you had a billion+ dollars, what would you buy or do with your life?

I'm just curious to know on what people would do with such money.

Me personally, I'd just buy my own island and just relax for the rest of my life. Nothing more.

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"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies in the heart of mankind." -Edward D. Morrison
Posts: 220 | Registered: Monday, July 11 2005 07:00
Master
Member # 4614
Profile Homepage #1
Well, there's a car, a house, an observatory, a gaming computer, a T3 connection...

But then again, there is also all those people who need the money more than I do, so I'd probably give much of it away. Whatever I had left after the government was done with me, that is.

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-ben4808

For those who love to spam:
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RIFQ
Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00
Agent
Member # 2210
Profile #2
I think that the surveyed amount for when most people would stop working was $8 million in U.S. dollars after they owned a house and car.

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Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh.

Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight.
Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00
Lifecrafter
Member # 4682
Profile #3
If I had a billion dollars......I'd be rich! Just joking! Seriously, I'd probably get a better computer, a few games, and iPod, put some away for college and donate the rest.

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If anyone ever asks you why you did something, say "Because I could".
Posts: 834 | Registered: Thursday, July 8 2004 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
Profile Homepage #4
No I would not use up the money by paying for my own Space Shuttle mission. I would invest in the development of a tuberculosis or a malaria drug, hoping to produce a blockbuster drug for the developing world. About the same price, BTW.

You need a goal in your live to feel anything like fruition. Not having to worry about making Wall Street happy by developping one more drug for the developed world would mean tremendius freedom to achieve some real relief in the world.
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #5
I'd attempt to ruin the economy of a small country I disliked through reckless trading in its stockmarket and currency.

[ Tuesday, July 12, 2005 13:46: Message edited by: Thuryl ]

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My BoE Page
Bandwagons are fun!
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Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
Master
Member # 4614
Profile Homepage #6
Actually, on second though, who would actually want a billion dollars anyway? There's no one that needs that much money.

Yay, the number 7 looks a lot better than 6, dontcha say? More sleek.

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-ben4808

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Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00
Agent
Member # 3364
Profile Homepage #7
*Thinks*

In order of what I'd do with it...

Pay the government ~1/3rd for income taxes, probably more since the goverment takes more percentage when you earn more. I will guestimate 600 million left.

Pay off all my debt.

Pay off all my parents' debt.

Choose 100 charities to give 1 million each to.

Give to my church any additional they need to complete their plan to build a larger sanctuary.

Let's see... I still have ~495 million...

Set aside $10 million in savings and alot myself a 'salry' of $60,000/year to cover all general living expenses. (the extra would be for unexpected medical expenses)

Set aside $2 million to pay for any future educational needs of my children.

Use $2 million to build my dream house.

And with the rest I'd buy up as many business and hotels in Wisconsin Dells as I could, building up a residual income without actually having to work, continually reinvesting the profits into more businesses and real estate and most likely becoming a full fledged billionaire again before I breathe my last. The House on the Rock will be mine!

Capitalism is a beautiful thing.

...

And I'd hire a PI to track down TM so I can send him lots and lots of cards and well wishes and smother him with more love. Maybe bribe... er, invite him to come race on my gocart tracks. :)

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"Even the worst Terror from Hell can be transformed to a testimony from Heaven!" - Rev. David Wood 6\23\05

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can." - John Wesley
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Tuesday, August 19 2003 07:00
Shaper
Member # 5437
Profile #8
After taxes, I would have a home built, buy many other things I need but can't afford, pay off my debt and my family's as well, put a few million in the bank (could live on the interest alone), and give a decent amount to the less fortunate.

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Nena
Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
Profile Homepage #9
I'd have to echo the ideas of many here. I would also donate most of it, after giving myself enough to survive without working. Might still work anyway, just to keep boredom away.

However, I'd make sure to set some aside for a couple of camping trips around the world. Backpacking in Peru could be fun (I'd personally love to see Macchu Picchu).

And like Maoben said, I don't think any one person needs a billion dollars. Even if they had it, they wouldn't be able to use/enjoy it all without entering evil billionaire mode. Greed would kick in before too long.

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Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice.

I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 6102
Profile #10
Hmm...that might make a good topic thread. Is there any one way to supress human sins, such as pride and greed?

Theoretically, there is a little sin in all of us, no matter how deep the circumstances may or may not be for a situation.

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"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies in the heart of mankind." -Edward D. Morrison
Posts: 220 | Registered: Monday, July 11 2005 07:00
Guardian
Member # 3521
Profile #11
I'll be honest- I'd spend much of it on an extremely well-stocked harem. I think I'd also create a massive, cageless personal zoo, where I could observe the animals in their natural habitats without having to contend with screaming children underfoot at every turn.

I'd also buy some ferrets and build myself a personal castle designed in the Mogul style, probably in a remote area with a desert-like climate. I'd invite many friends to stay with me and sample the pleasures of the place, and we'd drink fine booze and have a great time. I'd put enough money in the bank to ensure that I'd never have to work again.

I'd donate any money left over to several reputed wildlife protection organizations.

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Stughalf

"Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed."- The Bhagavad Gita.
Posts: 1798 | Registered: Sunday, October 5 2003 07:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #12
I would enjoy the brief noteriety of being on the Forbes list. I would then note that I already had the billion, and had not been given it, so I would already have most of the junk already mentioned, and have paid off all that debt. So I would have a billion plus having all of that.
Probably not the intent of the question, but living on the edge is usually the key to massive wealth accumulation. Assuming I stopped all income generating activities when I had the billion, I would buy Grand Coulee dam and demolish it. That way my salmon buddies could actually travel the full length of the mighty Columbia and reach Canada, fulfilling the dream of cheap prescription medicines for anadromous fishies. Poor in cash, rich in assets, and all the fishing I could stomach!

*this message funded by this penny and that penny*
Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #13
I would pay off my debts and my family's debts, make certain that my family was comfortably well off, invest $10 million of it such that I can live off the interest and never pay taxes again (there is a way), use the remainder to establish a foundation for disadvantaged children to get tutoring in elementary, middle, and high school, and then I would spend the rest of my life alternating between travel and educating myself at the best universities I could get into. I think I would start with math, and work from there.

Oh, and just for laughs, I would donate a brand new Vespoli Millennium eight (a crew boat) to my uni's crew team, on the condition that it be named the Caucanbaltz. :)

Really though, I would probably only need $100 million for this, maybe even $10 million, if I was savvy.

[ Tuesday, July 12, 2005 16:43: Message edited by: Drew ]
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
Profile Homepage #14
I'd, I dunno, build myself a house or something. Aside from that, probably I'd just give the rest away. Maybe keep a million, for incidentals. But I really have trouble thinking of anything I particularly want that I don't have.

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Sex is easier than love.
Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 335
Profile Homepage #15
I would have a large pit, similar in size and construction to a hot tub, built in my house. I would fill it with hundred dollar bills. i would wallow and probably cackle. I would then buy myself a new rifle and some skribbane. Then some more. Then I'd be out of money.

—Alorael, who seriously has no idea what he'd do. Probably like everyone else, he'd pay off debts, buy some nice things, give a lot to charity, and stash some away. He'd be tempted to try buying votes in the Senate, but a billion dollars doesn't go far there.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
Profile #16
To be honest, I'd spend as little of it as possible. I'd certainly set up some way of staying rich, and I'd put most of it aside just in case. With the money I'd have left to myself, I would moderately improve my own life and those of my loved ones. I wouldn't hold back from those who need it, locally. However, rather than donating the rest to a reputable charity, I would start my own organization for the construction of relatively self-sufficient model communities in Africa and possibly Asia, to be built, populated, and maintained by the homeless, the hunger-stricken, etc. Personally, I don't trust anyone more than I trust myself, and I find that goal much more useful and compassionate than the education of Americans or even the protection of wildlife. The millions I'd have saved would be fed into the organization for as long as necessary, but knowing me, I'd probably die with plenty left over

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And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it.
-The Last Pendragon

Polaris = joy.

In case of emergency, break glass.
Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 6102
Profile #17
Truth be told, now that I thought about it, money can't buy everything. Love can be bribed, but never enchanted into true love. Money in some ways can buy power, but not all power.

In fact, if you really had a billion dollars in real life, there'd be no "underdog" acheivement or status to obtain as everything that can be reached is bought or bribed upon.

Life would be like...an empty void full of materistic goods, less the values and appreciations of life.

There are some people out there that enjoy life without any money or any materisitc goods at all whatsoever.

Rather, they fulfill the enlightenment of life itself, rather than extract the "pop culture" goods associated with life.

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"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies in the heart of mankind." -Edward D. Morrison
Posts: 220 | Registered: Monday, July 11 2005 07:00
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
Profile Homepage #18
quote:
Originally written by Jeros:

Hmm...that might make a good topic thread. Is there any one way to supress human sins, such as pride and greed?

Theoretically, there is a little sin in all of us, no matter how deep the circumstances may or may not be for a situation.

Good idea. Look HERE.

What's come up here should prove interesting in the other argument. It's obvious that we don't all agree here...

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Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice.

I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Too Sexy for my Title
Member # 5654
Profile #19
um, if I had a billion dollars, which I really wished i had. I would do the normal things, you know the big house, nice car, lots of clothes and shoes of course. Followed by that would be the Marlenny foundation, which would provide young homeless kids with a home, food and education. I would help out with my country as much as i could and never worry about getting a job in my life.
Posts: 1035 | Registered: Friday, April 1 2005 08:00
Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
Profile #20
Pfagh. Shoes. I'm glad to be male.

I rather suspect the Marlenny Foundation would be quite a job in itself, if done in such a way as to be worthwhile. To not be forced to hold the kind of job generally thought of as such, though, would be very nice.

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And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it.
-The Last Pendragon

Polaris = joy.

In case of emergency, break glass.
Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00
Shaper
Member # 5437
Profile #21
quote:
Originally written by Lady Davida:

Pfagh. Shoes. I'm glad to be male.
Humph, I'll have you know I have one pair of shoes :P

Edit: Well, I have a pair of sandals too, so two.

[ Tuesday, July 12, 2005 20:55: Message edited by: Dolphin. ]

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Nena
Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00
Shaper
Member # 5450
Profile Homepage #22
Wow, I have more pairs of shoes than a female - my footy boots, my school shoes, my flip-flops, my skate shoes and my formal shoes.

If I had a billion dollars, I would finish school first, and then just live like a tight-ass and bring as much money as I can to the grave :P . No, I would just live a little better than the average person.

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I'll put a Spring in your step.

Polaris
Posts: 2396 | Registered: Saturday, January 29 2005 08:00
Warrior
Member # 5986
Profile #23
I'd fund my own genetics research facility (I plan on getting a medical degree to do such kinds of research and treatment) and write myself grants so that I wouldn't have to go through extra gubernatorial red tape.

Better yet, I'd use it to fund a research laboratory somewhere in Europe; probably Switzerland, to horde the money away.

I'd put two hundred million in the bank for moi, and fund other research groups that focus on particular diseases, such as cystic fibrosis. I'm not sure how much, but probably a good 100 million or so, depending on what else I would do.

My parents would also get a private bank account of $200 million. Social security is going down the abyss.

I would hire private tutors to teach me Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, and Latin.

I'd end up retiring in some private laboratory in Hong Kong, or perhaps follow in Ben Franklin's footsteps and become a lovable diplomat (substituting China for France, of course). I think I could do some great things for China, given the proper tools. This is a little presumptuous, of course, but why not? This is all a fantasy anyway. :P

[ Tuesday, July 12, 2005 21:16: Message edited by: Slp006 ]

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Wu wei... it's the only way
Posts: 154 | Registered: Monday, June 20 2005 07:00
Triad Mage
Member # 7
Profile Homepage #24
If I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
I'd buy you a house
(I would buy you a house)
If I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
I'd buy you furniture for your house
(Maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)
And if I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a K-Car
(A nice Reliant automobile)
If I had a billion dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a billion dollars
I'd build a tree fort in our yard
If I had billion dollars
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I had billion dollars
Maybe we could put like a little tiny fridge in there somewhere
You know, we could just go up there and hang out
Like open the fridge and stuff
There would already be laid out foods for us
Like little pre-wrapped sausages and things

They have pre-wrapped sausages but they don't have pre-wrapped bacon
Well, can you blame 'em
Uh, yeah

If I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a fur coat
(But not a real fur coat that's cruel)
And if I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you an exotic pet
(Yep, like a llama or an emu)
And if I had a billion dollars
(If I had a a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you John Merrick's remains
(Ooh, all them crazy elephant bones)
And If I had a billion dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a billion dollars
We wouldn't have to walk to the store
If I had a billion dollars
Now, we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
If I had a billion dollars
We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner
But we would eat Kraft Dinner
Of course we would, we’d just eat more
And buy really expensive ketchups with it
That’s right, all the fanciest ke... dijon ketchups!
Mmmmmm, Mmmm-Hmmm

If I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a green dress
(But not a real green dress, that's cruel)
And if I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you some art
(A Picasso or a Garfunkel)
If I had a billion dollars
(If I had a billion dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a monkey
(Haven't you always wanted a monkey)

If I had a billion dollars
I’d buy your love

If I had a billion dollars, If I had a billion dollars
If I had a billion dollars, If I had a billion dollars
If I had a billion dollars
I'd be rich

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"At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander
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Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00

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