What would you do if you had $1 billion?

[Anonymous]

And I don't want to hear your weird ass investment ideas—not the place to pitch your theory on bonds or whatever.

Besides the variety of houses I'd buy, I'd also buy a really nice private rail car. Something like one of those super fancy RVs, but with a garage that I can have a car in, or maybe room for staff to travel with me.

Obviously, if you need to go from LA to NYC, it's absurd to take Amtrak—expensive, uncomfortable and slow... but if I was a billionaire the cost of a private rail car would not be cheap, but would be cheaper than a private jet, it would be as comfortable as I want and who cares if it's slow—I'm rich, people can wait for me.

[Anonymous]

1 Billion is not that much these days. It's like asking what 1 million would get you in 2000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1 Billion is not that much these days. It's like asking what 1 million would get you in 2000.

Well, answer the question.

[Anonymous]

I’m torn. Our only child graduates in four years. Do we stay put, get out financial ducks in a row, and allow her to graduate with her friends? Or do we just pull the rug out from under her now and relocate?

We for sure would eventually move to a warmer climate. We’d quit our jobs and live a simple life near the water, enjoying a peaceful life. I think I’d also enjoy a second home somewhere out west, so we’d take some time to explore those options and pick a location. Maybe something in the Caribbean, too.

We’d cruise a lot, staying only in suites, taking only the best excursions. We’d stay at expensive and exotic resorts. Fly private. It all sounds so simple but to us would feel so luxurious.

Travel. That’s what I’d do with a billion dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1 Billion is not that much these days. It's like asking what 1 million would get you in 2000.

Are you kidding? For me that would be $20,000,000 a year until I’m 90. I think I’ll be ok.

[Anonymous]

I’d spend about a year researching charities then I’d give it all away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m torn. Our only child graduates in four years. Do we stay put, get out financial ducks in a row, and allow her to graduate with her friends? Or do we just pull the rug out from under her now and relocate?

We for sure would eventually move to a warmer climate. We’d quit our jobs and live a simple life near the water, enjoying a peaceful life. I think I’d also enjoy a second home somewhere out west, so we’d take some time to explore those options and pick a location. Maybe something in the Caribbean, too.

We’d cruise a lot, staying only in suites, taking only the best excursions. We’d stay at expensive and exotic resorts. Fly private. It all sounds so simple but to us would feel so luxurious.

Travel. That’s what I’d do with a billion dollars.

You'd go on a cruise if you had a $1b. Why not buy a yacht?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d spend about a year researching charities then I’d give it all away.

You don't have causes you want to support already?

[Anonymous]

I love this question! I'd put aside enough that my husband and I would no longer have to work since we're already close to retirement. I'd like to be able to travel, etc. while we're still young and healthy.

- I'd create scholarships where one of the largest factors was what did your parents do to volunteer in the community? My kids have been helped so much by coaches, religious teachers, people who clean up green spaces, etc. I'd love to have a way to return the favor to them.

- I would anonymously give money to people and organizations. Randomly. Middle school team needs money for a national chess competition? Check sent. Football teams equipment stolen and needs replaced? Check sent. Just completely random. I think that looking for the recipients would be a nice hobby when I wasn't traveling.

- I would set up a foundation/donate to something existing to give whatever is remaining on my death. I'd probably save enough for my kids to help them, but not so much that they didn't have to work.

[Anonymous]

Quit my job. Buy a nice house in Santa Barbara with an ocean view and horses (my main residence) and a home in the Mediterranean - Southern France most likely for regular family gatherings and summer holidays. I’d hire people to teach me things like gardening, cooking, etc and spend my additional free time traveling. Would rent private jets or fly first class/business. Some first fun trips I’d take would be a safari in South Africa, Japan, Australia/New Zealand, and India. Would splurge on regular spa treatments. I’d also donate the majority and set up a few scholarships for girls from low income families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m torn. Our only child graduates in four years. Do we stay put, get out financial ducks in a row, and allow her to graduate with her friends? Or do we just pull the rug out from under her now and relocate?

We for sure would eventually move to a warmer climate. We’d quit our jobs and live a simple life near the water, enjoying a peaceful life. I think I’d also enjoy a second home somewhere out west, so we’d take some time to explore those options and pick a location. Maybe something in the Caribbean, too.

We’d cruise a lot, staying only in suites, taking only the best excursions. We’d stay at expensive and exotic resorts. Fly private. It all sounds so simple but to us would feel so luxurious.

Travel. That’s what I’d do with a billion dollars.

You'd go on a cruise if you had a $1b. Why not buy a yacht?

Touché! I’m so out of touch with how much money that is, the thought of a yacht hadn’t even crossed my mind!

Still, doubtful I’d buy one, but I’d charter one most definitely!

[Anonymous]

We have 20M and live like lower-middle class people because we can't be bothered changing our lifestyle from what it was before.

We are building generational wealth, and with a billion, we would need a trusted wealth advisor instead of doing it all ourselves as we've done so far. There are large banks with entire departments centered on teaching wealth management to the scions of the ultra-wealthy. We would contact them, because our kids are teens and young adults, and they would need a lot of education.

We would emphasize discretion, because with wealth comes danger. In my first world EU home country, cryptobillionaires and their families have been kidnapped and tortured for ransom. I would be very careful about privacy and security.

We don't want houses, or rail cars (?), or planes. We would just take more and more luxurious vacations. We would probably hire the services of travel agents that cater to our wealth range, for the discretion mentioned above. None of the travel expenses would be in our names directly.

We would probably help out multiple relatives, and have give more money to our favorite charities. We know not to create our own. Usually it's more efficient to fund an already existing and capable one.

And health wise, we would maybe go to medical professionals that cater to wealthy people, and have higher standards of examinations. I wouldn't mind getting myself regular full body MRIs, just to check for latent issues. I'd get a fitness trainer and dietician to keep me on the straight and narrow.

It doesn't sound like much, OP, but we don't have a lot of wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love this question! I'd put aside enough that my husband and I would no longer have to work since we're already close to retirement. I'd like to be able to travel, etc. while we're still young and healthy.

- I'd create scholarships where one of the largest factors was what did your parents do to volunteer in the community? My kids have been helped so much by coaches, religious teachers, people who clean up green spaces, etc. I'd love to have a way to return the favor to them.

- I would anonymously give money to people and organizations. Randomly. Middle school team needs money for a national chess competition? Check sent. Football teams equipment stolen and needs replaced? Check sent. Just completely random. I think that looking for the recipients would be a nice hobby when I wasn't traveling.

- I would set up a foundation/donate to something existing to give whatever is remaining on my death. I'd probably save enough for my kids to help them, but not so much that they didn't have to work.

I LOVE the idea of random donations. I’d love to spend time perusing the internet for these random needs, then fulfilling them! It’s like the Angel Tree on steroids!

[Anonymous]

A billion? A billion is a nightmare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d spend about a year researching charities then I’d give it all away.

You don't have causes you want to support already?

Sure but $1 billion is a lot of money. I think it would take some thought.