How long could you stay anonymous for..

Gsm many years ago my SinL and her DH won substantial damages in a court case. They lived near Crewe, where they build Bentleys. Need I say more? SinL couldn’t believe what he’d done.

Also, there is usually a year to claim any prize. So if you find out you have won, just don't claim it until you have had some time to think about it.

We were lucky to win the equivalent of about 15,000 GBP about 15 years ago. It was a contest at a grocery store. They actually announced it over the speakers at the customer service desk the minute it was confirmed, so no anonymity! Of course that is not a life changing event, except in a small way, and for the next few weeks everyone we knew congratulated us.

We still had a mortgage and teenagers at the time, so we put some on the mtg, some away for each child's schooling, gave them a small amount of cash then spent some on our first ever international holiday. Luckily my DH and I have always been on the same wavelength financially, so this was decided quite quickly over a dinner at a nice restaurant.

I can see how some couples or families can come to disagreements over lottery wins, or spend the lot within two years and be back to broke!

Total secret is the plan for me and starting off with a lengthy cruise would aid that.

Callistemon21

bytheway
You do realise, don't you, that everyone on this thread is your very best friend?

Definitely!🤣🤣

Forever.
I would tell family i have inherited a lot of money and wish to pay your mortgage off,as you will be left what have left when i die,and i want to see you enjoy it whilst i am here.
Sounds feasible to me.

My OH already has plans in place. Pay off all the mortgages of the young family members and any financial encumbrances. Then book a first class long cruise to create distance and give himself time to make plans and decisions.

bytheway
You do realise, don't you, that everyone on this thread is your very best friend?

I would be concerned about someone at the bank/financial adviser/accountant’s office putting two and two together and selling the story. Not the professionals of course, but they all have to employ staff.

As long as I considered necessary. I don't discuss what's in the bank with anyone.

Probably for as long as it took my husband to buy a Bentley! (Only joking.) They do publicise where a winning ticket was bought I think, or possibly that’s only if a claim hasn’t been made. We have one ticket each a week paid by direct debit so hopefully that risk is covered.

Doodledog I’d keep schtum for as long as possible, but as I have a godfather in Oz, I might use your idea from page one of this thread for payments to family.
An inheritance would be less likely to be a huge amount, so fewer questions asked.

Yes, not buying a ticket takes away a lot of the angst, I agree

I have often pondered this, generally when I am awake at 2am
😁
I ponder it quite frequently but never buy a ticket!

I do, however, know exactly what I'd do with a measly £1m win on the Premium Bonds!

I would anonomously give most of it to childrens respite homes.The poor kids and their parents go through so much.

lovebeigecardigans1955

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?

That's exactly what I was saying

I have often pondered this, generally when I am awake at 2am. I would be as discreet as possible, but would sort out my children's housing and futures, possibly move ( but stay in the village), and buy a new car. To enable me to cope with the bigger house that I have got my eye on, I would employ cleaners and gardeners, but otherwise live quite as now. As far as anyone would know, I would just say I had a reasonable win, but not disclose the amounts. Donations would be extensive, and made without fuss or fanfare. I would make my plans while tucked in a nice hotel somewhere.

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?

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 🤔

Callistemon21

It depends how much it is.

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

Snap!

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

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 )

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 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.

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

A little place by the sea, definitely.