From JuJu with Love

I bought a $10 Powerball ticket this morning.

Not because I expect to win. My cousin Lee and I have been conducting this particular financial experiment for years. Whenever the jackpot climbs above $300 million, one of us buys $10 worth of tickets. We alternate. We split the winnings.

And it’s even more ridiculous that we only buy the tickets when the jackpot climbs above $300 million. Wouldn’t we be happy winning $10 million or $20 million??

I mentioned this absurdity to Lee this morning. He corrected me. Apparently his threshold is $500 million.

So far, I estimate we’ve invested approximately $2,000 and earned about $12. Warren Buffett, we are not.

But every time we buy one, I start giving the money away before the numbers are even drawn.

You get a million. You get a million. YOU get a million.

I am going to be the Oprah of Bloomfield Hills.

I don’t dream about having unlimited money because I can imagine all the things I could buy. I dream about it because I can imagine all the things I could change.

Don’t get me wrong, I would keep a substantial amount for myself. I have a number in mind that would give me financial freedom so that I would never have a sleepless night again over being able to afford my lifestyle. But then after that I dream of all of the good that money could do to help others.

I dream about being able to help family and friends. And all the charities that could benefit. I could set up endowments and make a real difference.

Giving it away could change dozens, hundreds, potentially thousands of lives. Family. Friends. Education. Cancer organizations. My synagogue. Animal organizations. Places and causes I’ve encountered while traveling. I could have enormous fun deciding where it went.

But first I have to win.

And based on Lee’s and my current $12 return on a roughly $2,000 investment, I wouldn’t start spending it just yet.

Apparently, I’ve been preparing for my Oprah era for years.

Facebook reminded me this morning that exactly three years ago, I posted this:

So clearly this isn’t some impulsive fantasy brought on by a large jackpot. I have long maintained that the only thing standing between me and extraordinary generosity is six correct numbers.

Dear Lottery Commissioner: I’m still waiting.

Because we both know I won. 😂

In the meantime, I’ll keep dreaming about what I’d do if those six numbers ever cooperate.

Because maybe being rich isn’t about how much you can afford to keep.

Maybe it’s about how much you can afford to give away.

From Juju with love 💙💰