What would you do with $1.55 billion?
You’ll find out if you win the Mega Millions jackpot in the next drawing at 10 p.m. CT Tuesday.
The estimated prize of $1.55 billion is the third-largest in U.S. lottery history. It has been building after 31 straight drawings without a winner.
The last jackpot winner came from the April 18 drawing.
The largest lottery prize of all time was a Powerball jackpot for $2.04 billion in California.
The Dallas Express asked the breakfast crowd at a local Whataburger this week what they would do with the prize money.
“I would give some of it to my church and my family,” said Liz Morante, 63, of Dallas.
Alain Ruiz, 35, of Addison, said he would donate some to charity and buy houses for his friends and family.
“How many houses can you buy for $1.55 billion?” he asked, smiling. “At least 100? Or 1,000?”
Charmaine Adams from Oklahoma said she only plays when the jackpot exceeds $500 million.
“All of those $2 tickets add up. You can spend $100 fast if you don’t watch it. We sometimes play at work,” she added.
The winner of the $1.55 billion, if there is one, would have an option on how to receive the payout. It can be paid out over 30 years or in a lump sum.
Lottery officials estimate the lump sum to be $757.2 million.
No one has chosen the annuity option since 2014, according to Axios.
Financial experts differ on which way to go.
“There are so many lottery winners who have won a lot of money and end up losing it all,” James Berman, a registered investment advisor and corporate finance instructor at New York University, told a New York TV station.
“If you’re choosing a lump sum versus an annuity, well, you better not be a gambler, because you are going to lose that lump sum. And if you’ve been playing the lottery, you might be a gambler,” Berman said. “Then it would be better to take the annuity.”
Fox Business asked a financial expert at Wells Fargo what to do.
“If you would prefer the comfort of knowing you have money for the next several decades consider the annuity payment. If you know you will make and keep to a budget and would prefer to have more control of your winnings, then the lump sum might be the best option for you,” Emily Irwin, senior director of advice at the bank, said.
