If you've been following the news then by now you've probably heard that a lucky Spanish ticket-holder matched five numbers and two lucky stars at the beginning of October to scoop a record-breaking $223.6 million (€190m) on the Euromillions draw.
190 million euros - just let that sink in for a moment. To be honest, my first thought was, "Is 190 million euros too much money?" After all, the maximum jackpot on the Irish Lotto is "only" 18.9 million and truth be told, that would do me just nicely.
Anyway, it took me all of five seconds to realize that no, €190 million isn't too much money at all. Whilst I have no idea how I'd spend that kind of cash, I've put a bit of thought into it and mulled over the different options that would be available to me, whether I won the lottery or if someone decided to just give me a big wad of cash for the fun of it.
To be honest though, I'd be happy with a free scratch card.
If I won the Euromillions…
Donald Trump has revealed in the past that his private jet cost around $100 million. I'm guessing that with him being one of the wealthiest people on the planet, he only buys the best that money has to offer so I'd want one similar to his if I won the Euromillions. By my calculations, $100 million equates to around €85 million so I'd still have plenty left over for a private beach house somewhere in the Mediterranean where the sun is more than just a hazy memory.
Failing that, I might even consider purchasing some sort of sports team or franchise because let's face it, I'd have plenty of time on my hands once I went into the office and caused a scene akin to the one in Bridget Jones where the main character hilariously jacks her job in. One thing's for sure - I wouldn't be doing anything sensible like investing it and I CERTAINLY wouldn't consider opening a shop which showcases the largest collection of Lady Gaga memorabilia.
Lady Gaga via Facebook.
If I won the lotto...
Whilst €18.9 million is still a massive amount of money to most mere mortals, I'm not sure I'd be able to go out splashing the cash on anything as extravagant as a piece of aircraft. I've always fancied owning a racehorse to be fair and the average price of one of those seems to be around €120,000 (yes, I really have looked this up).
Of course, a new house would definitely be on the cards and you can grab a good-sized mansion for about €5 million or so nowadays dependent on location - I wouldn't be settling for anything without a pool though, no matter whether I won the Lotto, Euromillions or received a golden ticket from Charlie himself. I suppose one of the drawbacks to winning either of those is that I'd gain a lot of newfound friends that I've never seen before in my life but I suppose it's nice to be popular either way.
Now we wait...
Okay, so the Euromillions bumper jackpot has been won and it's unlikely to get that big again anytime soon. However, I figure that I've more chance of winning the lotto anyway due to the fact that Ireland isn't quite as a big as Europe (well not yet at least) and so I'm still hopeful that I can be one of the country's next millionaires with a bit of luck. Now all I need to do is remember to buy a ticket...or maybe ten.
