I would buy a nice home (probably a few nice homes), a nice car, a plane, buy some horses and spend the rest of my life backpacking and vacationing. The rest I would donate to charities. I would probably donate as much as possible to Rand Paul if he every runs for president.

More:

Disappear. Out of sight. Never to be found again. :)

I am with Ben. Pay taxes, keep $1-2M which combined with what I have already saved would leave me free to work on things I love without worrying if / how much I would be paid.

I know how hard it is to give money away so that it helps rather than harms, that has maximum effect. I would likely try to "buy in" or at least partner with folks who are doing a good job like skoll foundation or acumen fund.

BTW: For people who get smaller windfalls, Fidelity Donor Directed Giving Fund (Schwab and other other financial institutions have similar programs) lets you take the tax right off immediately, and then spread you giving out over time as you see good ways to use the money. Sort of like your own foundation, but with a lot less legal overhead.

--Mark

Edited by verber on 04/07/2012 09:47:03 MDT.

Take care of family and friends in need and travel the world, helping others set up clean water supplies, health clinics, schools, and other basic infrastructure.

Not worry about money ever again.

I'd buy Greece.

And put a downpayment on Italy with what was left over :-)

1. I would buy as many red tents as possible and set fire to them ;-)

2. Buy Ed a new hat.

3. BPL and ban all talk of guns

Edited by stephenm on 04/07/2012 11:31:51 MDT.

The one thing I know for sure, is that I would get a massage. Every day, pretty much. I would probably try and buy land and a house right by where I live now. I would buy a house in the Swiss Alps. A lifetime ticket to fly back and forth. Hire someone to help me plan how to be secure for the rest of my life, how to set up a comfortable life for my daughter without ruining her and how to spread the rest in worthwhile ways.

Well money can't buy happiness but its a great way to help other people which makes you a lot happier in my opinion. I wouldn't want to just give money to a worthy cause although thats certainly noble. I'd want to use it in a cause I could personally be involved in. So I'd use it to buy some land and start either a summer camp or a year around therapy camp. Either way the goal would be to use outdoor advanture and postive relationships to help young people. If I had the money to start something like that I could settle down and do that the rest of my days.

If there was any left after that...

I'd buy every peice of UL gear known to man and have the BPL staff do an extensive every single one of them and write up a review. This review would be published yearly and would be at least a 1000 pages long.

I'd start a backpacking program on TV hosted by Andrew Skurka. It would be kinda like "Survivor Man" only he'd try different extremem trips using different kinds of gear and showing how to use them. Then I'd have a hidden crew release the occassional grizzly bear for him to scare the p00 out of. There would also be "Survivor" style shows where hikers would compete to hike the farthest, surive a storm with the lightest pack (points for pack weight versus points taken off for hypothermia).

I would hire a private mercenary army and conquere the Kingdom of Tonga and rule as dicatator.

I would find Waldo!

Edited by Cameron on 04/07/2012 12:29:09 MDT.

"and have the BPL staff "

What is that like 4 people?

Shoot start your own site.

"Shoot start your own site"

I like this one just fine Ken. I just want the definative guide to all things backpacking:)

Andrew Skurka's book is great but its for beginners. I want him to write a 11,000 page "For Nerds and Experts Only" guide.

Oh by the way I think flooding Death Valley would be cool too.

Two chicks at the same time man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A939QRRSNV4

Edited by Trout on 04/07/2012 17:19:06 MDT.

1. Talk to my wife and make a plan.

My plan:
a. We would disappear for about 3-12 months.
b. Pay off our mortgage. (-$100.000)

c. Give each of our siblings, and my in-laws $100,000 per year for 2 years.
(-$1,600,000)

d. Give our grown children $100,000 per year for 2 years. (-$400,000)
e. Spend $100,000 per year for living expenses for 2 years. (-$200,000)
e. Save the balance for 2 years, then make a new plan. ($97.7 million balance)
f. Make no new friends for 2 years.

My wife's plan:
I am fairly certain she would go along with my plan except for possibly part a.
The important thing is to plan together.

I'd learn massage too ;-)

I'd pump the necessary funds into the Continental Divide Trail Alliance to get them back up and running. I'd also help with land acquisitions along the CDT and PCT that will help preserve the character and wilderness experience of both trails.

I'd thru hike a lot more often, that's for sure.

Other than that: set up a series of trusts where the money could be effectively invested and the earnings distributed to worthy causes. It would be nice to turn on NPR news and listen to how this hour is sponsored by the "Dirk Charitable Trusts - Reminding you to Hike Your Own Hike"

Oh, I really think it would be fantastic to put a bit aside and when you hear about something go terribly wrong for good people, to help them back up on their feet.

Dirk

ban all talk of guns

WTF?

Because I am Irish.

I'd pay off the mortgage... pay off any other debt. Expand my business. Go back to university. Buy a piece of property up north. Spoil those I care about. Make a big donation to the JDRF.... and put the rest in trust for my kids.

Oh and I'd buy a kick-butt mountain bike and maybe a new car.

I would be able to pay for the health care my child needs. My daughter was born 7 weeks ago with a very rare brain dissorder. Even today one of her drs called me to tell me we need a certain blood test done. The lab won't take our insurance. So there goes another chunck out of our pockets. It seems to happen every day. Hopefully we have enough for a john hopkins trip.

The thing that drives the wife and I nuts is the health care for her. She has 24/7 nurseing at home. by mostly unqualified nurse. [no infant trach care] My wife is a nurse who does trach care daily. But the state won't pay her to stay home and take care of our child. They would rather pay them 3000 plus per day instead of paying us 3000 per month. It doesn't make sense to us.

The rest would go to charities. [well, most of it] The wife needs a few things. And I've been eyeing the hexamids. Maybe I'll make something out of that window film stuff............

Edited by DavidMaxwell on 04/10/2012 15:17:59 MDT.