Money changes people. Let me repeat that: money changes people. Either via earning it yourself or watching someone near you win 5 million dollars, you’re absolutely going to undergo some sort of alteration as you ascend that fiscal ladder (or seeing someone else do it).
Redditor u/Grand-Signature-4590 recently took to the famed AITA after he won over 5 million dollars to ask Reddit if he was a jerk for refusing to give his family any of the money he won.
Here’s what he laid out:
Background: I and my wife are both 24 years old. Every month we buy a lottery ticket for fun. Well, we won big. After the lump sum fee and taxes, we won around 5.6 million dollars. After paying all our debt( student loans, house mortgage, car loans) we had around 5 million left. In case you don’t know 70 percent of lottery winners go broke after a few years.
So first he explains their financial situation; they won, after taxes, about 5.6 million. They paid off debt and had about 5 million left. Wow. Right?
Me being in the financial sector didn’t want to be in the 70 percent and also never have to work a real job again. What we did was invest 3 million in a combination of mutual funds, REITs, and preferred stock funds for a very steady hands-off extremely low-risk solid return approach. With the 2 million we ended up buying a 5 million dollar apartment complex that cashflows and will give a high return with low risk.
They decided they didn’t want to work anymore and invested the money. They then went ahead and bought an apartment complex to receive rental money at low risk.
When I told my family I thought the first reaction would be exciting for me and how we were financially responsible with the money. But that started talking about a huge family trip, how I was paying for all their debt, and more. I explained 5 million is a lot but not enough where I will be giving it away to family and they got pissed.
Okay, so, I kind of get that the family figured maybe SOME of the winnings may float their way. That would be the generous thing, right? And they’re family. I don’t think a little disappointment is wildly out of turn. But then…
They said I wasn’t welcomed in this family and that I shouldn’t even talk to them again. I think I’m in the right because I’m doing what’s best for me and my wife. So do you think I’m the asshole?
They totally cut off OP over this? Wow. I can tell you now that Reddit’s reaction is going to be “omg it’s YOUR money”, but let’s check just to be sure:
So what do you think: asshole or naw?