Saturday's lottery jackpot

[centurian]

You can choose whether to take a lower lump sum or the annuity. I read something the other day arguing that it's best to take the cash, as the annuity providers could legally renege on you a few years down the line. I think the lump sum would work out to something over $400million, and still be well over $200million after tax

Sounds about right - which means it's actually less than the maximum Euromillions win of £160m because that's all up-front, tax free.

[NickFitz]

Useful advice from Reddit on how to handle it, from a previous Powerball biggy: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/c...hat_do/chba4bf

[scooterscot]

In, but perhaps too late now to transfer the dosh...

[AtW]

Useful advice from Reddit on how to handle it, from a previous Powerball biggy: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/c...hat_do/chba4bf

[mudskipper]

In, but perhaps too late now to transfer the dosh...

Too late, sorry.

[scooterscot]

Well good luck!!

[centurian]

Useful advice from Reddit on how to handle it, from a previous Powerball biggy: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/c...hat_do/chba4bf

This is the absolutely most important thing you can do right away: NOTHING.

Yes. Nothing.

DO NOT DECLARE YOURSELF THE WINNER yet.

Do NOT tell anyone. The urge is going to be nearly irresistible. Resist it. Trust me.

Yep. Pretty much what I would do - it's online, so there's no need to worry about the safety of the ticket. I would just carry on as normal, turn up on Monday morning, moan about the trains/weather etc. - and make a phone call to Camelot over lunch when out of the office.

The next day, I would say that I was taking a half-day at the end of the week (i.e. to go and claim the dosh) - and sometime the following week, I would give notice on the contact, saying that a "great opportunity has come up"

[SimonMac]

The nice people at the lottery have emailed me to let me know that they expect their site to crash tomorrow.

And they were right!

[greenlake]

Now up to $800 million.

$900 million!!

[NickFitz]

Yep. Pretty much what I would do - it's online, so there's no need to worry about the safety of the ticket. I would just carry on as normal, turn up on Monday morning, moan about the trains/weather etc. - and make a phone call to Camelot over lunch when out of the office.

The next day, I would say that I was taking a half-day at the end of the week (i.e. to go and claim the dosh) - and sometime the following week, I would give notice on the contact, saying that a "great opportunity has come up"

Note, however, that much of his advice is aimed at US lottery winners, where anonymity isn't an option - you have to allow yourself to be publicly identified and paraded before the media as a condition of claiming the prize. So one thing you need to do before you claim is figure out where you're going to hide, because going home won't be an option after you claim

Also, I believe Camelot's call centre is open at weekends, so you can call them on Sunday to make an appointment, should the need arise