Jeff and Sandy Carl were recently overjoyed to win the SuperLotte Plus jackpot of $26 million. So, did they get drunk, buy some cars and houses and visit all 7 continents? No, they are smarter than that.
The winning couple told a newspaper reporter that their plan is to hire an accountant and an attorney to help them manage their money. They want to fund their son’s college education first, then give some money to charity, and after that they will do some traveling and perhaps invest in some vacation homes.
One advisor told them the first thing is, “Go slow and think. Then, think again.”
They were also told that they might want to disconnect their home phone, since they could start hearing from long-lost relatives who suddenly have an interest in rekindling the family relationship.
The Carls might benefit from the information that was distributed from a study not long ago. The study followed two groups of people: lottery winners, and amputees. Initially that sounds like a very different comparison. However, the study showed that one year after winning the lottery, and one year after losing a limb, most of the people in each group are no more or less happy than they were before. Most of the people in both groups had learned to adapt to their new situation, and then returned to their previous level of happiness.
The lesson? Money really DOESN’T buy happiness. But most people would like to try anyway.