Now obviously I'm somewhat jealous (and it has me thinking, WHY don't I play this thing?!). But it also has me thinking, if I were to win £161 million, what the hell would I do with it? I'd obviously have to find somewhere to put it.. can a normal bank account even hold this much money?!
First of all, I'd learn to drive, and be able to buy/insure a decent first car. I wouldn't go mad with it and buy a sports car or something ridiculous, I'd keep it fairly humble with a Mini Cooper S or something like that, nice to drive, fairly practical (I guess). I probably wouldn't buy another car for quite a few years.
I'd then immediate pay off my student loan.. and look forward to a life without debt (woopa!). I'd buy a flat down in London so I wouldn't have to rent when I move next year. Probably not a house, simply because I have an image of my first HOUSE will be with a partner, I'd get lonely in one alone. The flat again wouldn't be some state of the art multi-million pound apartment, it'd be fairly normal. Why would I need something like that right now? The lifestyle doesn't appeal to me at this age. I imagine it to be fairly shallow and again, lonely. I wouldn't need any more of that right now! I'd also pay for private healthcare. I'd have cosmetic surgery, though nothing image-changing, no liposuction, implants or whatever. There's probably literally only one person who knows what I'd have done from a self-conscious point of view but even then I'm not sure they wouldn't be surprised!
I would then spend as much as I'd need to getting the best musical training money can buy in London. Though I could afford to start a postgrad in opera at the Royal Academy straight away, my plan wouldn't change simply because I'm not good enough to start straight away. I'd still spend the time training and probably at a job all the while because why would I stop just because I have money? Money runs out eventually!
Then the selfless side of it. I'd pay for my mum's house to be totally done up and finished, finally. I'd probably pay my sister through university if she still wanted to be a paramedic. A good couple of million would go to charities, probably a couple of the leading cancer charities and poverty charities, ones which are fairly close to my heart. I'd then probably pay for the people closest to me and who mean the most to me to go on holiday to wherever they want because they'd probably deserve a break. You know who you are.
I'd eventually want to live in a nice big house (but no bigger than I needed), with a very big garden, big rooms (one of which would have a gorgeous grand piano and not much else!), my own recording studio, all sorts of cool stuff like that. But that's the dream part of it! I still wouldn't do that until I was settled in my life.
And, immediately, that's realistically about it. I wouldn't splash out on ridiculous stuff I don't need simply because I'm not that sort of person and know the value of money. Eventually of course there'd be new cars, new houses, general living. But what, the above would amount to around £3/4 million, maximum? I'd be comfortable for life but never would I stop working! I'd be able to provide security for my children and family and myself and I'd make sure I'd save as much as possible. I'd never spend for the sake of spending, however fun it looks.
But then I also got wondering about the complications of having so much money. I'd remain an anonymous winner, and probably wouldn't tell many people I know for the simple reason of I don't want people sponging off me. It'd be funny to see how many people would suddenly be your "best friend" simply because you have money.
Then what about when I do buy that first or even "forever" house with a partner? We could afford to live somewhere really quite nice, but I couldn't expect them to pay an even half in if we're buying a, say, £600,000 house or more because if they don't earn that, how can they? But then it'd be mostly my house, so how does that work? The same applies for my wedding. Would I have to pay for the whole thing simply because I can? Perhaps this is to a lesser degree since it's far less expensive than a house. But would I have to be the main provider just because I'd won so much money, even though I'd still be working a normal salary job as I would be even if I hadn't won? I don't believe in spoiling people so that wouldn't happen, but would there be an expectation for that?
This is why I wouldn't tell many people. I'd want my partner to love me for me and not my money, I'd want my friends to be my friends for me and not my money, and I wouldn't want to be a target for fraud or burglary. I mean, with any luck I'd still have the friends and people who love me I have now and I think a couple of them really will stick by me forever. But can you imagine the huge complications having so much money would bring? I'm not sure how much easier life would get because of the problems having so much money brings. I want to be well-off, but £160 million well-off? Who knows..
Of course this is all ridiculous and hypothetical and I'll likely never be in that position. But I don't suppose that bothers me so much though I'd like the security. As long as I don't die alone and poor I'll be happy!
Oh and one last thing, congratulations to all the Bangor University students graduating this week. Well done all you thoroughly deserve it! :D
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