Sheldon H. Jacobson, PH.D., says
don't buy a lottery ticket.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3809204-data-dictates-who-will-win-the-mega-millions-lottery/

In an article titled "Data dictates who
will win the Mega Millions lottery", Shel-
don goes on and on about downsides &
acts as if being rich is something most
people can't handle.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3809204-data-dictates-who-will-win-the-mega-millions-lottery/

Current Megamillions Lottery: $1.35 Billion
CASH OPTION: $707.9 MILLION
https://www.megamillions.com/

He says "for every winner who uses their
winnings wisely, there are winners who don't
do that". He says "The potential good that
could be realized from their winnings end
up being a liability that they could not have
foreseen."

---
Comment: Now think about that, where is
the detailed statistical analysis in that state-
ment? It's missing. He asserts in a "no way
to determine if what he's asserting has any
validity whatsoever" manner, for a mysterious ...

.... unmentioned number of winners who suc-
ceed with winning, an unspecified number of
winners fail. That's a totally vapid statement,
about as important as saying the sun shines
somewhere on planet Earth every day, some
places are cloudy, and some places are rainy, ...

.... some get snow, some get floods, some have
droughts. That's a totally worthless statement,
saying nothing since everyone already knows
that.
---

He deplores low-income folks buying lottery
tickets, preferring they don't imagine or hope
to win, simply being satisfied with having no
chance of being lucky. The word IDIOT comes
to mind, but hey, at least the article disclaims
itself as being merely Sheldon's opinion.

As for what lottery profits go to, he complains
that it may falsely be claimed to be for benevo-
lence, but provides not one iota of evidence for
the percent of non-benevolent use of said pro-
fits. Perhaps someone has studied such mat-
ters but he doesn't provide any info on that.

Calling a low income earner winning a lottery
"an illusion", I'd submit that getting by on low
income is a reality that playing the lottery can
provide a welcome escape from, even if it's
only a fantasy escape, & the only way to not
experience that fantasy is to follow Sheldon's
advice & not buy a ticket.

He claims "the majority of people who win a
large lottery prize end up having little to show
for it within just five years." Where's the sup-
porting data for that claim? He didn't provide
one iota of evidence for that claim.

He's basically a supporter of the notion that
poor people can't handle money, or can't find
professional money managers that are skilled
at providing adequate reliable ongoing finan-
cial benefits that last the rest of a winner's
life & the lives of the winner's beneficiaries ...

.... after the winner has passed on. He warns
against friends & family & scammers & of a
winner's life unraveling. He mentions some-
body spending $1,000 a year & fails to notice
that many only play the lottery when it goes
up to a very high amount, like now.

Whatever. He calls playing a lottery "throwing
one's money away." I spent $10 on the mega-
millions lottery Tuesday, & I'm spending $10
more tomorrow or Friday. Whatever, it's fun,
& somebody always ends up winning, & the
only way to win is to play & the only way to
make sure you have NO chance of winning
is to follow Sheldon's advice.

--- --- ---

Follow-up:

As for benevolence, here's an article which
touches on that, though the article doesn't
go into specific percentages of benevolence:

---
January 12 2023

Here's where your money goes when
you buy a ticket from a state-run lottery
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/12/1148167357/lottery-money-state-by-state-mega-millions-powerball
---

On Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 12:45:37 AM UTC-6, observer wrote:

..> Sheldon H. Jacobson, PH.D., says
..> don't buy a lottery ticket.
..> https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3809204-data-dictates-who-will-win-the-mega-millions-lottery/
..>
..> In an article titled "Data dictates who
..> will win the Mega Millions lottery", Shel-
..> don goes on and on about downsides &
..> acts as if being rich is something most
..> people can't handle.
..> https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3809204-data-dictates-who-will-win-the-mega-millions-lottery/
..>
..> Current Megamillions Lottery: $1.35 Billion
..> CASH OPTION: $707.9 MILLION
..> https://www.megamillions.com/
..>
..> He says "for every winner who uses their
..> winnings wisely, there are winners who don't
..> do that". He says "The potential good that
..> could be realized from their winnings end
..> up being a liability that they could not have
..> foreseen."
..>
..> ---
..> Comment: Now think about that, where is
..> the detailed statistical analysis in that state-
..> ment? It's missing. He asserts in a "no way
..> to determine if what he's asserting has any
..> validity whatsoever" manner, for a mysterious ...
..>
..> ... unmentioned number of winners who suc-
..> ceed with winning, an unspecified number of
..> winners fail. That's a totally vapid statement,
..> about as important as saying the sun shines
..> somewhere on planet Earth every day, some
..> places are cloudy, and some places are rainy, ...
..>
..> ... some get snow, some get floods, some have
..> droughts. That's a totally worthless statement,
..> saying nothing since everyone already knows
..> that.
..> ---
..>
..> He deplores low-income folks buying lottery
..> tickets, preferring they don't imagine or hope
..> to win, simply being satisfied with having no
..> chance of being lucky. The word IDIOT comes
..> to mind, but hey, at least the article disclaims
..> itself as being merely Sheldon's opinion.
..>
..> As for what lottery profits go to, he complains
..> that it may falsely be claimed to be for benevo-
..> lence, but provides not one iota of evidence for
..> the percent of non-benevolent use of said pro-
..> fits. Perhaps someone has studied such mat-
..> ters but he doesn't provide any info on that.

See above for a hint of benevolence in
some states, & as to the extent of one's
subjective opinion regarding what is or
isn't benevolence, I suspect that varies
from individual to individual.

https://www.google.com/search?q=benevolence+meaning

..>
..> Calling a low income earner winning a lottery
..> "an illusion", I'd submit that getting by on low
..> income is a reality that playing the lottery can
..> provide a welcome escape from, even if it's
..> only a fantasy escape, & the only way to not
..> experience that fantasy is to follow Sheldon's
..> advice & not buy a ticket.
..>
..> He claims "the majority of people who win a
..> large lottery prize end up having little to show
..> for it within just five years." Where's the sup-
..> porting data for that claim? He didn't provide
..> one iota of evidence for that claim.
..>
..> He's basically a supporter of the notion that
..> poor people can't handle money, or can't find
..> professional money managers that are skilled
..> at providing adequate reliable ongoing finan-
..> cial benefits that last the rest of a winner's
..> life & the lives of the winner's beneficiaries ...
..>
..> ... after the winner has passed on. He warns
..> against friends & family & scammers & of a
..> winner's life unraveling. He mentions some-
..> body spending $1,000 a year & fails to notice
..> that many only play the lottery when it goes
..> up to a very high amount, like now.
..>
..> Whatever. He calls playing a lottery "throwing
..> one's money away." I spent $10 on the mega-
..> millions lottery Tuesday, & I'm spending $10
..> more tomorrow or Friday. Whatever, it's fun,
..> & somebody always ends up winning, & the
..> only way to win is to play & the only way to
..> make sure you have NO chance of winning
..> is to follow Sheldon's advice.
..>
..> *--- --- ---*

Another follow-up regarding Sheldon's claim
that "the majority of people who win a large
lottery prize end up having little to show for it
within just five years."

The problem with Sheldon's statement is he
doesn't give a hint of what he considers to be
a "large lottery prize". -If- he considers a million
dollars as a "large lottery prize", I'd submit that
many if not most people would choose to spend
that within 5 years on things like computers, ...

.... TVs, medical treatments, clothes, cars, dates,
furniture, paying off bills, real estate, houses,
donations, friends & family, etc. Technically,
they'd have something to show for it, defying
Sheldon's claim they have "little to show for it.

Some would choose to invest it & try to benefit
from the interest, an after tax investment of up
to 670,000 which at 4% would yield a return of
$26,800 per year before taxes.

-If-, on the other hand his "large lottery prize" is
only about "grand prize winners", I'd submit that
very few "grand prize winners" have "little to
show for it" within 5 years.

Here's a list of "grand prize winning amounts"
in the megamillions lotteries in 2022 & 2021:
https://www.texaslottery.com/export/sites/lottery/Games/Mega_Millions/Winning_Numbers/index.html_2013354932.html

10/14/2022 ... $494 Million
07/29/2022 ... $1.28 Billion
04/15/2022 ... $20 Million
04/12/2022 ... $106 Million
03/08/2022 ... $126 Million
01/28/2022 ... $421 Million

10/22/2021 ... $108 Million
09/21/2021 ... $432 Million
06/08/2021 ... $56 Million
05/21/2021 ... $515 Million
02/16/2021 ... $96 Million
01/22/2021 ... $1 Billion

~~~

A thread I posted in 2020 regarding the
unfortunate fact that a large number of
unwelcome rare events are more likely
to occur to an individual compared to
the miniscule odds of winning a mega-
millions lottery:

OT - Odds of Winning a MegaMillions Lottery
(things that make you go hmmmm)
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.sports.football.pro.dallas-cowboys/c/Sq9cqTwcR_4/m/i5lWujmGAAAJ

I'm off to spend $10 to buy 5 megamillions
lottery tickets, giving me a 5 in 302,575,350
chance of winning, or put another way, a
1 in 60,515,070 chance of winning.

Best of luck to everyone who doesn't follow
Sheldon's advice & to the lucky individual(s)
who win, best of luck in finding topnotch
lawyers, tax advisors, financial advisors, &
investments & enjoying whatever remains
of your journey through this mysterious
realm we call life.

On Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 5:42:28 PM UTC-6, observer wrote:

..> Follow-up:
..>
..> As for benevolence, here's an article which
..> touches on that, though the article doesn't
..> go into specific percentages of benevolence:
..>
..> ---
..> January 12 2023
..>
..> Here's where your money goes when
..> you buy a ticket from a state-run lottery
..> https://www.npr.org/2023/01/12/1148167357/lottery-money-state-by-state-mega-millions-powerball
..> ---
> On Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 12:45:37 AM UTC-6, observer wrote:
/> .> Sheldon H. Jacobson, PH.D., says
/> .> don't buy a lottery ticket.
/> .> https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3809204-data-dictates-who-will-win-the-mega-millions-lottery/
/> .>
/> .> In an article titled "Data dictates who
/> .> will win the Mega Millions lottery", Shel-
/> .> don goes on and on about downsides &
/> .> acts as if being rich is something most
/> .> people can't handle.
/> .> https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3809204-data-dictates-who-will-win-the-mega-millions-lottery/
/> .>
/> .> Current Megamillions Lottery: $1.35 Billion
/> .> CASH OPTION: $707.9 MILLION
/> .> https://www.megamillions.com/
/> .>
/> .> He says "for every winner who uses their
/> .> winnings wisely, there are winners who don't
/> .> do that". He says "The potential good that
/> .> could be realized from their winnings end
/> .> up being a liability that they could not have
/> .> foreseen."
/> .>
/> .> ---
/> .> Comment: Now think about that, where is
/> .> the detailed statistical analysis in that state-
/> .> ment? It's missing. He asserts in a "no way
/> .> to determine if what he's asserting has any
/> .> validity whatsoever" manner, for a mysterious ...
/> .>
/> .> ... unmentioned number of winners who suc-
/> .> ceed with winning, an unspecified number of
/> .> winners fail. That's a totally vapid statement,
/> .> about as important as saying the sun shines
/> .> somewhere on planet Earth every day, some
/> .> places are cloudy, and some places are rainy, ...
/> .>
/> .> ... some get snow, some get floods, some have
/> .> droughts. That's a totally worthless statement,
/> .> saying nothing since everyone already knows
/> .> that.
/> .> ---
/> .>
/> .> He deplores low-income folks buying lottery
/> .> tickets, preferring they don't imagine or hope
/> .> to win, simply being satisfied with having no
/> .> chance of being lucky. The word IDIOT comes
/> .> to mind, but hey, at least the article disclaims
/> .> itself as being merely Sheldon's opinion.
/> .>
/> .> As for what lottery profits go to, he complains
/> .> that it may falsely be claimed to be for benevo-
/> .> lence, but provides not one iota of evidence for
/> .> the percent of non-benevolent use of said pro-
/> .> fits. Perhaps someone has studied such mat-
/> .> ters but he doesn't provide any info on that.
..> See above for a hint of benevolence in
..> some states, & as to the extent of one's
..> subjective opinion regarding what is or
..> isn't benevolence, I suspect that varies
..> from individual to individual.
..>
..> https://www.google.com/search?q=benevolence+meaning
/> .>
/> .> Calling a low income earner winning a lottery
/> .> "an illusion", I'd submit that getting by on low
/> .> income is a reality that playing the lottery can
/> .> provide a welcome escape from, even if it's
/> .> only a fantasy escape, & the only way to not
/> .> experience that fantasy is to follow Sheldon's
/> .> advice & not buy a ticket.
/> .>
/> .> He claims "the majority of people who win a
/> .> large lottery prize end up having little to show
/> .> for it within just five years." Where's the sup-
/> .> porting data for that claim? He didn't provide
/> .> one iota of evidence for that claim.
/> .>
/> .> He's basically a supporter of the notion that
/> .> poor people can't handle money, or can't find
/> .> professional money managers that are skilled
/> .> at providing adequate reliable ongoing finan-
/> .> cial benefits that last the rest of a winner's
/> .> life & the lives of the winner's beneficiaries ...
/> .>
/> .> ... after the winner has passed on. He warns
/> .> against friends & family & scammers & of a
/> .> winner's life unraveling. He mentions some-
/> .> body spending $1,000 a year & fails to notice
/> .> that many only play the lottery when it goes
/> .> up to a very high amount, like now.
/> .>
/> .> Whatever. He calls playing a lottery "throwing
/> .> one's money away." I spent $10 on the mega-
/> .> millions lottery Tuesday, & I'm spending $10
/> .> more tomorrow or Friday. Whatever, it's fun,
/> .> & somebody always ends up winning, & the
/> .> only way to win is to play & the only way to
/> .> make sure you have NO chance of winning
/> .> is to follow Sheldon's advice.
/> .>
/> .> \*---*---*---*/

Follow-up regarding winning numbers:
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/14/1149242136/maine-mega-millions-jackpot

Winning "grand prize" ticket purchased in
Maine. Congrats!

Winning numbers 30 43 45 46 61
Megaball 14
Megaplier 2 times

Per the following, Maine is the 10th-lowest
in population state:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/states

Myself, after spending $20 on the last 2
megamillions lotteries, I hit one number +
the Megaball on this latest drawing, win-
ning $4. Someone or multiple individuals
in Maine & (in checking the following) ...

.... the Maine General Fund & the Maine
Outdoor Heritage Fund will benefit from
my trying to win (as well as all other tries
to win).
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/12/1148167357/lottery-money-state-by-state-mega-millions-powerball

The states in which 14 tickets won the
million dollar prize ($2 million if any won
with a multiplier ticket):

CA(2),FL,IL,KS,KY,MO,NC,NY(4),PA,TX

Congrats to all those folks, too!

New York (half the population lives in
New York City) was the luckiest 'coming
close' state, & New York is the 4th-most
populous state, per the following:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/states

Mega Millions Trivia
https://www.megamillions.com/About/Mega-Millions-Trivia.aspx

--- --- ---

Follow-up regarding the winner buying
the ticket in Lebanon, Maine (that's in
southern Maine). Of course, no way of
knowing where the individual(s) winning
the lottery actually live, but if they live in
or near Maine, yikes:

February 3 2023

Dangerously Cold Temperatures
Blast Maine
Video: https://youtu.be/5aHjew4manA

Some parts of Texas having power outages:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Texas+power

In the part of Texas I live in, current temps
in the 50s, bright & sunny, high expected
in low 60s today.

Sidenote: Current powerball is $700 million,
Cash Value: $375.7 Million, I probably won't
cash in my $4 megamillions ticket yet to join
the parade of millions of Americans trying to
overcome the miniscule chance of winning,
but at some point, if no one wins, I'll join in.
https://powerball.com/

On Saturday, January 14, 2023 at 9:52:49 AM UTC-6, observer wrote:

..> Follow-up regarding winning numbers:
..> https://www.npr.org/2023/01/14/1149242136/maine-mega-millions-jackpot
..>
..> Winning "grand prize" ticket purchased in
..> Maine. Congrats!
..>
..> Winning numbers 30 43 45 46 61
..> Megaball 14
..> Megaplier 2 times
..>
..> Per the following, Maine is the 10th-lowest
..> in population state:
..> https://worldpopulationreview.com/states
..>
..> Myself, after spending $20 on the last 2
..> megamillions lotteries, I hit one number +
..> the Megaball on this latest drawing, win-
..> ning $4. Someone or multiple individuals
..> in Maine & (in checking the following) ...
..>
..> ... the Maine General Fund & the Maine
..> Outdoor Heritage Fund will benefit from
..> my trying to win (as well as all other tries
..> to win).
..> https://www.npr.org/2023/01/12/1148167357/lottery-money-state-by-state-mega-millions-powerball
..>
..> The states in which 14 tickets won the
..> million dollar prize ($2 million if any won
..> with a multiplier ticket):
..>
..> CA(2),FL,IL,KS,KY,MO,NC,NY(4),PA,TX
..>
..> Congrats to all those folks, too!
..>
..> New York (half the population lives in
..> New York City) was the luckiest 'coming
..> close' state, & New York is the 4th-most
..> populous state, per the following:
..> https://worldpopulationreview.com/states
..>
..> Mega Millions Trivia
..> https://www.megamillions.com/About/Mega-Millions-Trivia.aspx
..>
..> *---$---$---*