Jim Fair
The Hot Spot at Hammett Bridge Road and Buncombe Road was busy throughout the day with customers playing to win the $1.5 billion Powerball lottery.
Lines continued to wrap around local convenience stores Wednesday as individuals make the gamble of a lifetime. The recording-breaking Powerball jackpot has grown to a grand prize of $1.5 billion.
The one in 292 million chance of winning the lottery tonight is like of getting struck by lightening twice in a lifetime.
A winner choosing the lump sum will get $930 million before taxes. Choose an annuity over 30-years will earn a $22.6 million check for the entire amount, also before taxes.
“I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life,” Pam Freeman, an associate at Edward Jones, a financial services/investment company, said with a laugh.
Don’t start dreaming up those lavish vacations and that $1 million beach house, because in the end a lot of people will be disappointed.
Colt Davis, owner of the White House Salon, has investing in Greer in mind with a cherry on top.
“First I'd have to take my wife, Lindsey, on a trip to, well, everywhere. Then I would buy that one enormous house on Main Street – the Turner House in Greer. Much of my money would also be spent eating frozen custard at the new Abbotts, along with plenty of visits to the other fantastic restaurants in Greer. Then, who knows, since I'm a billionaire, maybe I'll run for president. Worked for Trump.”
“If I won the lottery, Greer Relief will never have to worry another day about helping people,” Carolina Robertson, Executive Director of the non-profit said. “That would be all taken care of.
“I would definitely take care of my church and my money would go to scholarships and other foundations. I would not think of myself first and my family will remain average people with a normal life,” Robertson said.
University of South Carolina Upstate, Senior Hailey Venable said, “with being so cautious about how I spend my money now, I don’t know if I would be able to adjust to buying whatever I please.”
Many people can’t fathom thinking about winning $1.5 billion. And the excitement of winning bears some responsibility that border on top secret.
There are tips to protect yourself if you win. Have financial advisors or attorneys on hand. The calls, the texts, the long-lost second cousin, twice removed somehow finds a relation to you, in hopes to sit on your door step begging to reconnect.
Matt Castillo, also a USCS student, said, “I would have no problem saying no to people.” Castillo said he was prudent with money and finishing college is a priority.
You may want to keep your day job. After all, money doesn’t buy happiness. There is more to life than winning an overwhelming amount of money. In the end, one can’t take their money with them everywhere so do something valuable and worthwhile.
Venable, who volunteers in the Upstate community, thinks that although donating large amounts of money to worthy organizations would be nice, she said actively volunteering is important, too.