Law Students

What Would You Do With a Billion Dollars?

By atharkhan

What would you do if you suddenly received a billion dollars?

I’ve asked this question of a few people and interestingly enough, there seems to be a highly similar pattern of responses.

First, everyone seems to start out with wanting to pay off debts. That makes sense. And, I am sure Maslow would find this predictable.

Second, people express a desire to make sure that family and loved ones are taken care of. That makes sense too. Once one has satisfied one’s own basic necessities, it’s only natural to want to do the same for one’s family.

Third, people express a desire to travel and buy extravagant and (usually) useless things.

But if I keep asking “okay, what would you do next?,” everyone seems to want to spend time with family, indulge in a creative pursuit, and generally take things a little easier and slow down, etc.

My “data” is based on informal questions answered by a few (patient and understanding) friends. However, my guess is that their answers may be representative of most people out there.

So, I’m asking you because I am interested in learning — what would you do with a billion dollars?

If that number is too small, what would you do with a trillion dollars?

Full post as published by Atharkhan on December 21, 2009 (boomark / email).