How long could you stay anonymous for..

Yes definitely anonymous so that I could good things with no one knowing.

I would want to be anonymous, but I would also want to give money the children, and as you say, I guess it would leak from there, as it would be really difficult for them to balance getting the benefit of a large donation from me with keeping their lives they are, and what would be the point of having ££££ in the bank and keeping their lives as they are?

Perhaps we can come to an agreement, bytheway? If I win, I'll ask you (for a large fee, obviously ) to tell my lot that a long-lost aunt has died in Timbuktu and made them their heirs, and I will do the same for you if you win?

Seriously, I assume it's one of the things that the Lotto people will advise you about if you win a large sum. They'll have experience in that sort of thing.

It depends how much it is.

I'd want to stay anonymous but firstly, I'd have to buy a ticket!

I’d stay anonymous and swear the children to secrecy. I trust them, they know what would happen if the world knew. Fortunately I don’t have a Harry!

I have been privy to quite a few secrets, some good, some not so much. I can keep mum for as long as needed. We would definitely need time to process a win, especially if it was a big one! That would be a nice problem to have.

As for a lottery win... our lotto announces where there are winners (town is published), and we live in a relatively small town. So gossip would be rampant if it was a big win.

My grandmother told me family secrets and I kept them for over 20 years until after her death. I am good at keeping things to myself. So I would wish to be anonymous. The only family members I would consider helping would be as close mouthed as myself.

The Super lotto is up to a billion dollars. I thought about buying a ticket, but that amount just seems too overwhelming. I'm not sure winners are able to stay anonymous from the public. I do have fantasies about winning big.

I could handle a really big win because I'd donate most of it to charitable causes, leaving enough to help family and friends.

The secret is to tell people you've had a win but not tell them how much. If no-one knows the amount then they cannot be overwhelmed by visions of mega bucks. Just say you've had a 'nice little win' and will be sharing some around. It could be just £1,000 for all they know (not £100 million).

Then you have to behave normally whilst all the time plotting what to do. If you can share the news with someone trustworthy then all well and good.

We've lived through this recently. We had a win on the lottery. Lucky Dip. Thrilled we were but as yet haven't told the children. We don't want our lives to change.

£140. 2 numbers more and we'd have been millionaires.

Oh well, maybe next time.

bytheway - you’ve had a big win, haven’t you ? 😂

Suffice to say that I am off to speak to bytheway’s family tomorrow. . .

If I won the lottery not much would honestly change from day to day. We would continue to live where we do but would buy a weekend/holiday home that we could use as a weekend bolt hole.

I am sure we would get a newer car, maybe an electric one, but these days with many people doing lease deals and HP, I don't think that would be too obvious.

I would invest in a property portfolio to leave my kids/grandkids, which would be kept secret until I die. Being estranged from my other son, I definitely wouldn't want him getting in touch just because of a lottery win.

It would be hard to hide a lottery win from our youngest who lives with us, so we would buy him some nice things he didn't already have.

Maybe I'd actually get some plastic surgery (tummy tuck?) or other help to lose weight.

If I win the lottery there is no way I'd tell anyone except those that I live with (and only because I have to)

I would get a solicitor or accountant to donate to local charities for me so I could stay anonymous.

I’ll never win, because I’ve never bought a ticket. SinL did and didn’t tell anyone until after she’d spent most of it.
A huge win would probably take over one’s life - sussing out deserving projects/people and making both large and small donations - perhaps employ a PA, sworn to secrecy to help.
Obviously, the Aston Martin is essential, but I don’t think that would surprise my friends (bar a couple) or neighbours. Otherwise, I’d see my DDs and DGSs have secure futures and buy a little place beside the sea.

I haven't bought a lottery ticket for ages but if I did and won I would keep quiet about it and divide the money between my family and I know they wouldn't tell anyone if I ask them not to.

I would want to keep quiet about it and know DD's have projects that need sorting that I could help with that would not be questioned by anyone. My father helped us a lot when we first married people still wonder how we coped, we never told.

A little place by the sea, definitely.

I have no problem keeping secrets ,I was once told by a friend that she had been told if she needed someone to talk to ,I was the go to shoulder to cry on .According to her I was the"very soul of discretion"
I've always remembered that and have in fact kept secrets for 40 years or more for friends who can speak to me about them at any time knowing it wont ever go further,
A lottery win would be a dawdle ,but I did sit in on Pools wins with their advisor for years so have some knowledge of how to handle it ..if I ever bought a ticket

I would tell close family, since I’d be very confident that they wouldn’t blab.
Possibly some less close family who’d I’d like to help, and I’d be reasonably confident that they wouldn’t blab, either.
Certainly nobody else.

but I did sit in on Pools wins with their advisor for years
How exciting!!

The problem would be if it was a huge amount people would start gossiping.

A million or two would be enough, I think. More than £5 million would completely change your lives.
But then, spread amongst the wider family £5m wouldn't go far!

I think keeping other people's secrets is easy. You just don't make yourself the centre of attention by telling someone else's story for them.

Keeping something like a lottery win secret is a different kettle of fish though, as the problem then becomes how you enjoy the proceeds of the win (for yourself and others) without giving away the source of your new-found wealth. How do you explain the ability to give your children millions without telling them where it's come from, and how do you explain to your friends that you are moving to Millionaire's Row when they think you live on a pension? What do you tell the new neighbours when they ask where you've moved from and it's obvious that it isn't as wealthy an area?

(And yes, I know that not everyone would move house to somewhere fancy - they are just examples )

We keep talking about downsizing so I think if we upsized then our neighbours might get suspicious 😁

Callistemon21

It depends how much it is.

I'd want to stay anonymous but firstly, I'd have to buy a ticket!

Snap!

NotSpaghetti

Callistemon21

It depends how much it is.

I'd want to stay anonymous but firstly, I'd have to buy a ticket!

Snap!

I'm just thinking that a million £ on the Premium Bonds wouldn't go far these days 🤔

If I stayed absolutely schtumm it'd be a secret forever but ... if you want to treat people - family and friends, how could you do that secretly?

There's also the fact that I'd probably move to a slightly bigger house - I'd be asked how I could afford it. How to answer without appearing evasive? I don't think trying to pass it off as a mysterious windfall would work. Could I pull the wool over people's eyes? I've friends and relatives who would be curious and a couple of family members have loose lips - they wouldn't be able to help themselves.

Dare I say that another couple of family members are a bit mercenary with a 'what's in it for me' attitude? Problems, problems. I'll stick with the Set for Life lottery - the wins are more modest, but I'd still have some explaining to do, wouldn't I?