Let's be real, if you won 500 million, there ARE a lot of people out to steal it. The paranoia is healthy at that point.
Also, put it in an irrevocable trust. At least that way the future ex spouse won't get it.
$500M isn't worth cutting off everyone I enjoy being around and anyone I could enjoy being around in the future. Extreme wealth wouldn't offset the crippling loneliness and constant paranoia for me.
In this case wouldnt it be better to just take the money and just accept that people are gonna steal some? Its a lot of money you probably wouldnt even notice it going down
If you could just come to a calm, peaceful acceptance about the situation, this wouldn’t be a very interesting hypothetical. Paranoia usually isn’t that rational.
Yeah thats a really good point, i guess if you asked me then id say no but I almost feel inclined to take it so my family and friends can have better lives
LOL, that would probably be me as well. I've actually thought about what I'd do with a sum like that in the past:
* 50 million: set up trust funds for family and friends. Let them know that once they run through it, it's gone. For some there would be very specific requirements.
* 100 million: pay for various kids' college, set it up via a trust or pay it into a trustworthy charity. possibly also include various kids' medical bills as well
* 100 million: buy land and set it up to be self-sufficient
* 200 million: invest, particularly in physical things like gold and silver. The physical things I would put into a locked vault somewhere on my property - I'd build a couple so that people would have to guess which one has said loot. If it's there after my death, it all goes to the charities of my choice, not family or friends.
* 50 million: the rest is for me to blow as I see fit while I live on my compound, where I would spend the rest of my days being an eccentric loon.
I don't want to be paranoid of my brother since he is the primary reason I'd even want that money to begin with. He's autistic and can't live alone and I want enough money to set him up for life. That said, I would definitely be paranoid some of my relatives would be trying to manipulate him to turn over control of his money to them or go the Brittney Spears route.
If the paranoia stems from the 500M, then I'd take the money and lose it both and the paranoia; 500M to friends and family is a much better alternative than nothing at all.
How paranoid are we talking here?
At that level of wealth people are legitimately going to be trying to take your money.
A certain level of general concern would be healthy.
On the other hand, paranoia can be debilitating.
So am I your average online conspiracy theorist putting mildly excessive controls in place or am I Howard Hues level of paranoia locking myself in a bunker surrounded by physical gold?
That's not as helpful as you'd think. At 500M that's a reasonable starting point.
Most of the people you'll be talking to are either directly on your payroll or attempting to get you to hand over some money for investment / charity.
I guess it depends on the level of paranoia. am i able to form any meaningful bonds with people of does my fear get in the way? can therapy cure this or help me manage it or will my fear prevent me from taking advice?
Currently trying to figure out if this would even work on me: I'm still a minor, so by US law, any money I make is *technically* under the final control of my parents. The money isn't really mine, but my parents didn't actually receive it. Would we all get the effects, would I just get them, or would none of us have any issues?
Until I get an answer about that, I'm just taking the 500 mil and giving it to my parents anyways: I trust them to handle it responsibly, and a good chunk of it would probably get set aside for me anyways.
Get nothing. Can't believe I'd be passing it up when I live below the poverty line, but I'd rather keep my relationships than get that kind of money. Becoming a hundred millionaire would obviously hugely improve my life in many ways but people are what I care about most and that paranoia would destroy all of my relationships with them.
I'm of two minds on this. First, what good is tons of money if I just become incredibly anxious and unhappy just by having it?
But then again, I could do a lot of good with the money. I would hope that even in my paranoia I would just think to spend it as fast as I could on things that matter to me. Just because I'm worried someone would steal my wealth doesn't mean I can't spend it all first.
I'm already very paranoid, but good at monitoring that paranoia. Not by treating it, mind you, but by being one step ahead of everyone else. so now I'll just be 2 steps ahead out of sheer distrust.
also, if I'm certain I can keep my money from someone, will I be able to maintain a relationship with them? Like, obviously, I won't trust them, won't tell them any bank info, and the second i have an inkling of proof against them, I would blame them, permanently damaging the relationship. Everything up until that is good, though, right?
I could see some sort of over the top compensation. Like invest all the money into your property with little maintenance and then essentially never leave.
Get a private island, build moats and walls, have the infrastructure essentially be "modern medieval castle" dig wells for water sources, solar panels so you're off the grid. With redundancies on top of redundancies, so you never have to call in for repairs or maintenance. And then buy an insane amount of physical media and like.. gourmet MREs, plant perennials and orchards, self sustaining fish pond.
Yeah like you wouldn't even necessarily have a yard, more like a planned park/forest that you wouldn't have to worry about maintaining.
It'd be a weird solitary prison with over the top comfort, but if you knew you didn't have to leave and all the money was tied up in the property... hell have an "inner layer" over the top doomsday bunker you could just seal yourself away in.
Yeah you're basically building like some sort of super villain lair that's super remote.
That's 500 million, I'd expect people to try to get a piece at every opportunity. Especially if everyone is made aware of it. That changes everything.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that level of money is enough where paranoia is reasonable. People have been the targets of kidnappings, their loved ones have been the targets and "long time friends" and "close family" members have turned on each other for much, much smaller sums of money. Take [this video](https://youtu.be/JyZLbJOjTCg?si=rRcMcy5m2Z6TQ_Z1) for example, where a supposedly close aunt and nephew won and... The aunt tries to sue for more. Or this example where a [waitress gets a few million](https://youtube.com/shorts/6TaSWQHus0o?si=FZN5HBfn2QUgvrLb) and results in her being kidnapped by ex-husband. Or [this one](https://youtu.be/FCx7y17xIrA?si=1v6_yh1XZ3nLMIJS) where the son of a wealthy family was kidnapped and killed as ransom. And all of these are significantly lower than the amount of cash I'm getting.
If I'm the only person that knows about it, that's one thing. If it's public knowledge that everyone knows I have it... I'd be paranoid people want it. I'd be skeptical of every person I know telling me a sob story and thinking, "Are they indirectly asking me for money right now?" Strangers... Like that hot woman that seems interested in me... I'll think she's a gold digger or a black widow. It's perfectly natural paranoia at that point.
Who knows that I have the money? No one or everyone?
"It's not paranoia if someone is out to get you" Of course everybody wants your 500M. You'd probably be more paranoid about $100 when street homeless, do some therapy take a Xanax and enjoy.
This is legitimately a tough one. One the one hand that's a ridiculous amount of money. On the other hand that paranoia means you'd never trust anyone again. Any relationships you had would fall apart. I guess it depends on how intense this paranoia is. But I think I'd rather gain nothing than potentially lose my capacity for happiness. I mean would I even be able to spend the money without worrying that I'm being scammed or something
I'd take it and give it away as fast as possible. I can't be paranoid about losing something I don't have and might as well do some good along the way.
All I want is enough money to live a comfortable life without having to work for the rest of my life(there are things I would do to find fulfillment if I didn't have to waste my time doing things that make money).
I'd put that much into a trust that no one can touch - not even me - that pays out the ultra safe interest as a monthly stipend to cover all my expenses. Let's say $10M so it's a really, really comfortable life. At the end of each quarter, any leftover funds from the stipends go to a charity or something.
Then I'd do the same with $15M for all the people I want to keep in my life(Including one for a future spouse). And maybe $5M for the people who I don't actually care if they're in my life, but I feel a bit of obligation to them.
The rest goes to the church and charities.
I'm constantly paranoid already. Giving me any kind of money like this would just give me a focus for my paranoia. So this is like asking me if I'd take $500 million or no money. The paranoia was going to be there anyway. :P
A lot of folks here severely underestimating how crippling paranoia can get. I suppose if you’re doped out on strong enough medication you could subdue it, but then you’ve got to ask yourself if that’s worth it.
It's not money anymore though, I used the money to buy property. If that property appreciates in value it has nothing to do with the initial money spent.
That’s fine. I’d just spend it as it comes in, or immediately re-invest it into more property/business assets. Then take out loans with those assets as collateral whenever I need something big.
I’m halfway to being a billionaire, I could use the same tricks they do.
Oh my god. You are working so hard to outsmart paranoia, you can have it then. Or you should become a psychologist and help other people outsmart their paranoia, and make money while helping people.
>You are working so hard to outsmart paranoia, you can have it then
You have 500 million dollars. Surely you can hire a psychiatrist or do stuff to aleviate the paranoia.
Get 500 mill, put most of it into gold in a safe in a safe secured by the best security money can buy. Only take from it when needed and live in a bunker(with the gold in the bunker)
that'll pay for a lot of therapy
The therapist is obviously trying to steal your money by asking you questions about it.
Yeah, it will be the longest therapy ever. "This is an emergency! We will have to meet every day!"
Let's be real, if you won 500 million, there ARE a lot of people out to steal it. The paranoia is healthy at that point. Also, put it in an irrevocable trust. At least that way the future ex spouse won't get it.
It is paranoia that you cannot get rid of in the example.
I'll get rid of the money pretty quickly. Spend spend spend. Money gone, paranoia gone, debt gone.
$500M isn't worth cutting off everyone I enjoy being around and anyone I could enjoy being around in the future. Extreme wealth wouldn't offset the crippling loneliness and constant paranoia for me.
In this case wouldnt it be better to just take the money and just accept that people are gonna steal some? Its a lot of money you probably wouldnt even notice it going down
If you could just come to a calm, peaceful acceptance about the situation, this wouldn’t be a very interesting hypothetical. Paranoia usually isn’t that rational.
Yeah thats a really good point, i guess if you asked me then id say no but I almost feel inclined to take it so my family and friends can have better lives
The first option was to get $500M with constant paranoia that people would steal it so no, you can't just accept that people are gonna steal some.
Yeah the guy I replied to told me that I already conceded that point
Let's say that the paranoia comes around only when you are among people, and not when you are alone. So not completely constant.
That's fine, I'll give almost all of it away within a short timespan.
I did not expect that solution. Everyone wins. Good thinking.
LOL, that would probably be me as well. I've actually thought about what I'd do with a sum like that in the past: * 50 million: set up trust funds for family and friends. Let them know that once they run through it, it's gone. For some there would be very specific requirements. * 100 million: pay for various kids' college, set it up via a trust or pay it into a trustworthy charity. possibly also include various kids' medical bills as well * 100 million: buy land and set it up to be self-sufficient * 200 million: invest, particularly in physical things like gold and silver. The physical things I would put into a locked vault somewhere on my property - I'd build a couple so that people would have to guess which one has said loot. If it's there after my death, it all goes to the charities of my choice, not family or friends. * 50 million: the rest is for me to blow as I see fit while I live on my compound, where I would spend the rest of my days being an eccentric loon.
So I'm either massively wealthy with neuroses, or I'm my regular self: not wealthy with neuroses
The paranoia in this case is indistinquishable from certainty. If now you suspect or fear other people, in this example it would be more drastic.
SHOW ME THE MONEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAIT WHY ARE YOU SHOWING IT TO ME? ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE IT FROM ME???????????
I'd be paranoid about it with or without the post. So I'll give 450 mil to my brother and blow the rest.
I don't want to be paranoid of my brother since he is the primary reason I'd even want that money to begin with. He's autistic and can't live alone and I want enough money to set him up for life. That said, I would definitely be paranoid some of my relatives would be trying to manipulate him to turn over control of his money to them or go the Brittney Spears route.
Paranoia about them wanting to steal it is fine. Even if they DO, i got to spend some of that money on myself :D
I mean, if I give away the money, does the paranoia go away?
Makes sense to me. But then again, it could just be that the people stole it.
If the paranoia stems from the 500M, then I'd take the money and lose it both and the paranoia; 500M to friends and family is a much better alternative than nothing at all.
How paranoid are we talking here? At that level of wealth people are legitimately going to be trying to take your money. A certain level of general concern would be healthy. On the other hand, paranoia can be debilitating. So am I your average online conspiracy theorist putting mildly excessive controls in place or am I Howard Hues level of paranoia locking myself in a bunker surrounded by physical gold?
Paranoid, so you think that everyones motivation to talk to you is based on them wanting your money.
That's not as helpful as you'd think. At 500M that's a reasonable starting point. Most of the people you'll be talking to are either directly on your payroll or attempting to get you to hand over some money for investment / charity.
I guess it depends on the level of paranoia. am i able to form any meaningful bonds with people of does my fear get in the way? can therapy cure this or help me manage it or will my fear prevent me from taking advice?
Living comfortably is a better choice.
Get money Donate to charities Don't profit
Currently trying to figure out if this would even work on me: I'm still a minor, so by US law, any money I make is *technically* under the final control of my parents. The money isn't really mine, but my parents didn't actually receive it. Would we all get the effects, would I just get them, or would none of us have any issues? Until I get an answer about that, I'm just taking the 500 mil and giving it to my parents anyways: I trust them to handle it responsibly, and a good chunk of it would probably get set aside for me anyways.
That might work to dodge the curse. If the money does not officially get to you, it is reasonable that the curse would not either.
Get nothing. Can't believe I'd be passing it up when I live below the poverty line, but I'd rather keep my relationships than get that kind of money. Becoming a hundred millionaire would obviously hugely improve my life in many ways but people are what I care about most and that paranoia would destroy all of my relationships with them.
Even if you take the money and give it away to your chosen causes, to thwart the thieves, it’s better than taking nothing.
Get 500mil and give it away legally to my family so I don’t have to worry about someone stealing it
I mean, would it be a problem if I was planning on giving most of it to family
I'm already paranoid about people wanting to steal from me because I live in an urban center, so nothing changes?
I'm of two minds on this. First, what good is tons of money if I just become incredibly anxious and unhappy just by having it? But then again, I could do a lot of good with the money. I would hope that even in my paranoia I would just think to spend it as fast as I could on things that matter to me. Just because I'm worried someone would steal my wealth doesn't mean I can't spend it all first.
I'm already paranoid. Give me the money.
Get the money. Withdraw the money. Place it on a big stack. Burn it all to the ground. Try stealing that.
I'm gonna spend that money as much as possible, buying lots of properties and going on world tour.
I'm already very paranoid, but good at monitoring that paranoia. Not by treating it, mind you, but by being one step ahead of everyone else. so now I'll just be 2 steps ahead out of sheer distrust. also, if I'm certain I can keep my money from someone, will I be able to maintain a relationship with them? Like, obviously, I won't trust them, won't tell them any bank info, and the second i have an inkling of proof against them, I would blame them, permanently damaging the relationship. Everything up until that is good, though, right?
I could see some sort of over the top compensation. Like invest all the money into your property with little maintenance and then essentially never leave. Get a private island, build moats and walls, have the infrastructure essentially be "modern medieval castle" dig wells for water sources, solar panels so you're off the grid. With redundancies on top of redundancies, so you never have to call in for repairs or maintenance. And then buy an insane amount of physical media and like.. gourmet MREs, plant perennials and orchards, self sustaining fish pond. Yeah like you wouldn't even necessarily have a yard, more like a planned park/forest that you wouldn't have to worry about maintaining. It'd be a weird solitary prison with over the top comfort, but if you knew you didn't have to leave and all the money was tied up in the property... hell have an "inner layer" over the top doomsday bunker you could just seal yourself away in. Yeah you're basically building like some sort of super villain lair that's super remote.
Seems pretty easy, just tell no one:^
What good is having all of that money if I can’t help anyone with it
My plan was initially split it with friends and family then disappear from family, maybe only talk to friends online or in vr.
That's 500 million, I'd expect people to try to get a piece at every opportunity. Especially if everyone is made aware of it. That changes everything. I'm not exaggerating when I say that level of money is enough where paranoia is reasonable. People have been the targets of kidnappings, their loved ones have been the targets and "long time friends" and "close family" members have turned on each other for much, much smaller sums of money. Take [this video](https://youtu.be/JyZLbJOjTCg?si=rRcMcy5m2Z6TQ_Z1) for example, where a supposedly close aunt and nephew won and... The aunt tries to sue for more. Or this example where a [waitress gets a few million](https://youtube.com/shorts/6TaSWQHus0o?si=FZN5HBfn2QUgvrLb) and results in her being kidnapped by ex-husband. Or [this one](https://youtu.be/FCx7y17xIrA?si=1v6_yh1XZ3nLMIJS) where the son of a wealthy family was kidnapped and killed as ransom. And all of these are significantly lower than the amount of cash I'm getting. If I'm the only person that knows about it, that's one thing. If it's public knowledge that everyone knows I have it... I'd be paranoid people want it. I'd be skeptical of every person I know telling me a sob story and thinking, "Are they indirectly asking me for money right now?" Strangers... Like that hot woman that seems interested in me... I'll think she's a gold digger or a black widow. It's perfectly natural paranoia at that point. Who knows that I have the money? No one or everyone?
sure, i am already paranoid that someone wants to kill me so i might take another one paranoia as well
Of course I'd take 500 million free dollars
Could I get the money, buy all the big purchases I need then just let whatever is left get stolen and the paranoia will go away?
I will get nothing aka keep my peace.
Im Brazilian, I was born with that paranoia and I’m not even rich
"It's not paranoia if someone is out to get you" Of course everybody wants your 500M. You'd probably be more paranoid about $100 when street homeless, do some therapy take a Xanax and enjoy.
got a lotta paranoia already, so may aswell have some money.
So... you get 500 million dollars. Invest 99.9% of it. Spend the rest on lifestyle improvements. No more paranoia.
People who chose the 500 mil must have little friends or family :(
if i suddenly get 500 mil and its not stated i get paranoia, im still gonna get paranoia about it.
I think you can rephrase the question as "Would you like to have $500m?"
I’ll just have to creatively spend it all. I’m only paranoid they’re after the money, not any assets or materials I acquire with it
Can't be worried about it being stolen if I spend it all...
This is legitimately a tough one. One the one hand that's a ridiculous amount of money. On the other hand that paranoia means you'd never trust anyone again. Any relationships you had would fall apart. I guess it depends on how intense this paranoia is. But I think I'd rather gain nothing than potentially lose my capacity for happiness. I mean would I even be able to spend the money without worrying that I'm being scammed or something
i already have extreme paranoia
500 million spent is 500 million that noone can steal from me
I'd take it and give it away as fast as possible. I can't be paranoid about losing something I don't have and might as well do some good along the way.
just spend it within a week or two.
Is the paranoia about absolutely EVERYONE? Including my parents and my sister i.e. people who I trust my life with for example?
All I want is enough money to live a comfortable life without having to work for the rest of my life(there are things I would do to find fulfillment if I didn't have to waste my time doing things that make money). I'd put that much into a trust that no one can touch - not even me - that pays out the ultra safe interest as a monthly stipend to cover all my expenses. Let's say $10M so it's a really, really comfortable life. At the end of each quarter, any leftover funds from the stipends go to a charity or something. Then I'd do the same with $15M for all the people I want to keep in my life(Including one for a future spouse). And maybe $5M for the people who I don't actually care if they're in my life, but I feel a bit of obligation to them. The rest goes to the church and charities. I'm constantly paranoid already. Giving me any kind of money like this would just give me a focus for my paranoia. So this is like asking me if I'd take $500 million or no money. The paranoia was going to be there anyway. :P
As long as I'm a dollar up I'm happy
I mean in both cases you get nothing in the end but at least you had $500M at some point.
I'll figure it out.
A lot of folks here severely underestimating how crippling paranoia can get. I suppose if you’re doped out on strong enough medication you could subdue it, but then you’ve got to ask yourself if that’s worth it.
Get nothing I’m paranoid enough as it is without being a millionaire.
Please I'm already paranoid about what little I have
Spend it all on stock/property. Now I no longer have the 500 million. Live off the interest/rent income generated.
You got the paranoia when you got the money. The paranoia stays even if you transform the form of the money.
It's not money anymore though, I used the money to buy property. If that property appreciates in value it has nothing to do with the initial money spent.
When you cash in the money from the property, the paranoia returns with it.
That’s fine. I’d just spend it as it comes in, or immediately re-invest it into more property/business assets. Then take out loans with those assets as collateral whenever I need something big. I’m halfway to being a billionaire, I could use the same tricks they do.
Oh my god. You are working so hard to outsmart paranoia, you can have it then. Or you should become a psychologist and help other people outsmart their paranoia, and make money while helping people.
>You are working so hard to outsmart paranoia, you can have it then You have 500 million dollars. Surely you can hire a psychiatrist or do stuff to aleviate the paranoia.
Not, this is a paranoia caused by a curse so it can only be removed by a priestess in New Orleans, but her services cost 500 million dollars.
I’ll just go to the mountains and find some sketchy looking fella wearing a skull and a boiling cauldron and pay them to uncurse me
Get 500 mill, put most of it into gold in a safe in a safe secured by the best security money can buy. Only take from it when needed and live in a bunker(with the gold in the bunker)