Would you tell your wife?

April 8, 2004 8:57 AM

If you won C$30 million dollars in a lottery, would you tell your wife? Or would you keep it secret for an entire year as she fed her 4 kids from the food bank. Raymond Sobeski waited a year to collect the money because he “didn't want to do anything rash”. Last week he went away for a week and promised to return today. Will she ever see him again?
posted by Geo (27 comments total)

30m buys a lot of hookers.
posted by Kwantsar at 9:09 AM on April 8, 2004

Here's is my promise to you, the citizens of MetaFilter:

When I win the lottery, I'm flying a cadre of you bastards to join me on an all-expenses paid trip to Disney World. Deluxe hotel suites, passes to all the various kingdoms. Is there something like the opposite of "Gay Week" where Disney is full of young, impressionable Christian groups? 'Cause that's when we're going.

And we're all getting teeshirts with our screennames on the back. I'm putting Miguel in charge of drinks and Dong Resin in charge of social activities.

I would seriously consider spending upwards of $100,000 for such foolishness. That is my promise to you.
posted by ColdChef at 9:12 AM on April 8, 2004

Jim McKnight, my Matrimonial Property professor in law school always taught us that "Nothing is more certain to cause a divorce than winning a lottery." According to him, this is very common behavior.
posted by Seth at 9:15 AM on April 8, 2004

So help me, I'm actually scared to buy a lottery ticket. I just might win.
posted by mcwetboy at 9:17 AM on April 8, 2004

Skrillaaaaaaaaaa - Got me crazy, skrilla got me gone
Skrillaaaaaaaaaa - got me flippin new Cadillac chromes
Skrillaaaaaaaaaa - got me crazy, skrilla got me mad
Cos skrilla gives me from riches to rags (motherfucker)
posted by dhoyt at 9:18 AM on April 8, 2004

I liked this story better when it was used as a plot line on Melrose Place.
posted by Keith Talent at 9:20 AM on April 8, 2004

I don't like getting my hopes up unless winning is really inevitable ColdChef, so one question: Do you ever partake in lotteries?
posted by fvw at 9:39 AM on April 8, 2004

ColdChef for President. Seriously tho... All the newbies know they can get their own metafilter shirt with their screenname on the back right?

Here's How
posted by jopreacher at 9:59 AM on April 8, 2004

Why is this a big deal? Thirty million Canadian? I mean, that only works out to about sixteen dollars.
posted by mathis23 at 10:03 AM on April 8, 2004

Ha, ha, Mathis. I just traded 40 of your diminishing dollars for 50 of mine. So, you know, that would be about 24 million American. What a funny joke that is the eight thousandth time.
posted by jon_kill at 10:12 AM on April 8, 2004

We're not limited to getting our own screennames on baseball shirts, are we? I've always wanted a quonsar...
posted by grateful at 10:15 AM on April 8, 2004

jon_kill : we do not mention the diminishing dollar. If we ignore it, it will go away.
posted by silusGROK at 10:17 AM on April 8, 2004

jopreacher: I wouldn't get your hopes up, I've been trying to get Matt to do one of those jerseys for me for ages and have finally given up. Damn the ponies, where's my jersey? [shoots rays of death at Matt from his wiki stronghold].
posted by adrianhon at 10:21 AM on April 8, 2004

jon, I grew up just a few miles from the border, so I consider myself half-Canadian. I kid because I love.
posted by mathis23 at 10:25 AM on April 8, 2004

I grew up a few miles from the sea, so I consider myself half-merman.
posted by jon_kill at 10:56 AM on April 8, 2004

So, that would make you a quarter fish? Like, from the knees down?
posted by kindall at 11:01 AM on April 8, 2004

One of the stories (not necessarily those linked above) made mention of two marriages, "at least one" divorce, and a relationship with the second wife that didn't exactly sound legit... just one bizarre story all around.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 11:44 AM on April 8, 2004

Why is this a big deal? Thirty million Canadian? I mean, that only works out to about sixteen dollars.

sixteen dollars buy a lot of canadian hookers.

take THAT, "Kwantsar"!
posted by quonsar at 12:12 PM on April 8, 2004

I heard that too, Ghost. Also, the Globe story contains some very weird details, like that while the newest wife and the man were married, she didn't live with him and considered it a "one-way marriage". She was using the food bank even before the win, and said that her lifestyle was "below" his. They both sound odd, but he seems totally out there.

I don't think any of us are ever going to see him again.
posted by livii at 12:14 PM on April 8, 2004

Man: "Honey, pack your things in a suitcase! I've just won the lottery!!"

Woman: "WOW!! That's fantastic - where are we going??!"

Man: "We're going nowhere - I'm kicking you out!"

[/oldjoke]

30m buys a lot of hookers.

How much Thai baht is 30 million Canadian???!!
posted by SpaceCadet at 1:47 PM on April 8, 2004

How much Thai baht is 30 million Canadian???!!

884,581,243.22
posted by soundofsuburbia at 3:17 PM on April 8, 2004

884,581,243.22

That's a lot of plo chops.
posted by Foosnark at 3:55 PM on April 8, 2004

So, that would make you a quarter fish? Like, from the knees down?

For God's sake, don't mention the milt!
posted by y2karl at 4:41 PM on April 8, 2004

What a funny joke that is the eight thousandth time.

Sorry. To us Amerikuns that's the equivalent of hearing it twice.
posted by Feisty at 8:59 PM on April 8, 2004

I'm flying a cadre of you bastards to join me on an all-expenses paid trip to Disney World.

Disney World? Well, I guess, but you'd better buy a dog-chokin' motherlode of drugs, too!

Assuming of course that I'd be on the invite list...
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:34 AM on April 9, 2004

adrianhon: me too! me too, too sad.
posted by dash_slot- at 7:54 AM on April 10, 2004

Assuming of course that I'd be on the invite list...

Wouldn't be a party without thewonderchicken. You'll be in charge of leading the group that will heckle Dubya in "The Hall of Presidents."
posted by ColdChef at 2:12 PM on April 12, 2004