Powerball: $1.9 Billion!

 

In these hard post-Covidian days of inflation, high interest rates, and uncertain economics, we will have a Powerball drawing on a pot that is $1.9 billion.  This is a crazy high amount of money that a mere $2 will allow you a sliver of a chance of winning.

This is the largest jackpot ever... anywhere in the world.

This past Saturday, the jackpot was $1.6 billion but no one won.  The jackpot is so high because no one has won for forty draws.  279.269, 971 tickets were sold for that drawing.  Let’s see what the number of tickets sold for tonight’s drawing will be.  I bought five tickets for the Saturday drawing and was part of a group that have bought forty tickets.

None of my tickets had any numbers match.  In the group, we won a whopping $12 which we decide to let ride in tonight’s drawing.  I bought myself another five tickets as well.

Prior to this insane jackpot, the previous two highs have been $1.6 B.  One was in 2016 for Powerball and another was a Mega Millions jackpot in 2018.  I blogged about the 2018 jackpot, A Little Disappointed, that I didn’t win. 

In all likelihood, I will not win this time either. 

I am kind of hoping no one wins tonight.  I would love to see the jackpot get to over $2 billion. 

Come to think of it, 2018 might have been the last time I bought a lottery ticket.  I only buy lottery tickets when the jackpot reaches the level where it becomes a lead news story. 

In 2018, I asked three questions. “What would I do with that much money? What would I do for family and friends? What I first do for myself?”  It was funny to read that I would have bought a Maserati for myself.  Would I do the same this year if I were to win?  Surely, I would set-up college fund for my grandkids.  I would pay off the mortgages held by my immediate family. 

What would I do for myself?  In 2018, I thought about a Maserati.  This time around, I would buy a spacious home with an ocean view, perhaps in Wisconsin.  I would buy a Bentley or Rolls.   

Would I keep teaching?  Sure, for a short while.  I would fund some amazing guest speakers, outings, meals, and field trips for students.  We would have a lot of fun.

But I am happy to say that all in all, I agree even more with closing of my 2018 blog post and that is a very good thing.

 At the end of the day, sure, I was a little disappointed. But, when I reflected on the kinds of things I might do with the money, I only thought about getting myself that Maserati paying off some bills, and then… I thought about charities and family. It dawned on me that I was already one fortunate person and life was indeed pretty good. So, while I was amongst the throng of folks a bit disappointed that we did not win the $1.6 Billion, I feel like I won something bigger in the long run.