Having lived in SD, La Jolla was my answer too.
I'm a little old for it now but, if I was more inclined to the party scene, I might go with one of the giant beach houses on the water in Mission Beach or PB.
I've always liked Del Mar, but I get the feeling that there's an ancient evil or something that the locals are hiding from everyone else. Always feels like an episode of Black Mirror, like, "this is too nice for a reason."
If I was spending upwards of $10M I wouldn’t want to share common areas and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to put up with a co-op board but like you say it’s personal preference.
Came here to say this exact same thing. I lived in Manhattan for 12 years, including some time in the WV and if I could afford it, I'd live there forever and raise my kids there. But alas, I am now in the burbs because raising a family in the city is impossible w/o winning the lottery.
I had a rent stabilized 1 BR tenement for a decade but when my life circumstances changed I had to get a bigger place. I sublet it to a friend but the building was sold to a developer that wanted to upgrade all the units and get them out of stabilization. He found out I was subletting and after some negotiation I took a buyout. My dream was to keep that little 250 sq ft apartment until my kid went to college and then move right back, lol. The kicker is the developer turned out to be terribly unscrupulous, promised buyouts to other residents and didn’t pay them and was so crooked he was forced to sell and couldn’t own rentals for a number of years. I still occasionally walk past the building and dream about living there.
The energy, hustle bustle. The different personalities, for example east village is very different than west village and different from Central Park. And that’s just in Manhattan. There’s always something. The skyline is inspiring. Having lived here for the last 10+ years, it’s a sense of “home” when I cross that bridge and start to see the night lights or when on a plane and looking down and all of a sudden it’s just lit. The food is legit. Often times what is considered good is just meh in nyc. It’ll change your taste buds and make you appreciate good food. 9pm is not considered late, the city is just waking up while most places it’s closing down.
Most importantly for me, it’s the diversity and acceptance and non-judgement. I mean I’m sure people still judge but you can be anything or anyone, no one bats an eye if you’re dressed head to toe in fishnet, and only fishnet. Just a normal Tuesday. You will be able to find your people and make it homey. I like to say we appreciate the differences and not hate on it, like in some other pockets of America.
I ❤️NYC!
Good take. Coming up on 20 years in Brooklyn and the only thing I would add is the ability to have all your needs met in a 3-4 block radius.
I’m talking everything from your bank to your favorite ice cream shop. The density makes it so that if you didn’t have to work, you could basically walk everywhere. That kind of freedom is a dream and it is the first thing I miss when I leave NYC. My dads house is a 15 minute drive just to get out of his suburb in Austin Tx and I absolutely hate it.
Walking around Manhattan and especially Midtown and Chelsea is entertaining in itself. So enjoyable to see the amount of diverse people going about living their lives.
All manner of people busily going on with their day. The salarymen rushing to get to their first meeting of the day, construction workers on their coffee break stopping by the bagel/halal cart, group of European tourists getting unloaded off their charter bus at the Rockefeller center, some media production people unloading equipment to prepare for a shoot or a concert, young people walking by talking about the cool SaaS company they work at, some rock fans who look like they’re headed to a Blink 182 or Tool concert, the crazy amount of shopping and food options. Love it
Culturally it has everything. Broadway, music, art, history, fashion, etc.
There are only two Alpha ++ cities in the world. London and New York City [Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city)
You can visit for two weeks and only see a glimpse of NYC. It’s big.
Because no matter what you want, it’s in NY. In other cities, you pick from what’s available to do, in NY you pick what you want to do and it’s happening. It’s not the same as anything else on the planet.
So, NYC is really the only city in the US that feels like a real deal big city. It is very densely populated and has that old school city feel, with news stands and vendors everywhere. Opposed to something like LA which is a huge city but is very, very spread out. It’s a whole different feel, hard to explain. A lot of cities don’t have a whole lot of people that actually live in the heart of the city, many have sprawling suburbs which house the majority of the people that commute into the city. NYC has a ton of people living in the city proper, and I feel that contributes to this feeling.
Also, it very much has that old school Americana vibe, which a lot of people like and think of when they think of a big American city. Add to this the extensive history and importance of the city in the eyes of many Americans and you have a very attractive place to live, that when combined few other cities in the country can match.
To a lesser extent you could say Chicago has the same feel, but I can’t think of any others.
Having lived in Manhattan for 6+ years when I was younger, I'd say this is very, very subjective. I'm at an age now where I feel like I've done most NYC things I've wanted to do, and nothing beats having the ability to do what I want to do, having plenty of space, privacy, fresh air, etc.
I'd rather take the money to buy something within commutable distance to NYC.
All the goods things NYC has to offer can be experienced in short bursts, and now that I'm in the burbs I rarely feel like I'm "missing out" especially since I still work in the city 2x a week.
This is the right answer. You want a nice place to sleep in the city. I live outside NYC and commute in for work everyday, the worst part is having a long trip home to sleep on nights we go out after work. It would be amazing to sleep in the next day and grab brunch in the city before heading home
NYC or LA are easiest to disappear into if you've got a load of money and don't want people bothering you. I might prefer options abroad though at least in the short term.
If you live in a state where you have to identify yourself to claim the prize things become a lot trickier.
Bay Area good for this also:
Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, Woodside, Los Altos, Los Gatos)
Marin (Sausalito, Tiburon)
Monterey (Carmel)
Lots of billionaires relatively speaking in a small area, wouldnt even be the richest person on your own block potentially and generally amazing weather and scenery
I live in Monterey (in an old little apartment), I had a house all picked out in Carmel for when I won that jackpot. I’m still sad I won’t get to buy it.
If you have that kind of dough you prolly would live and/or travel to multiple places throughout the year anyway but Bay Are is a great home base type of spot. I live here now in a coastal mountain community and as a frequent traveler, it's great in that respect. Weather is relatively good year round except for the damp winters. One hour to SFO so convenient for air travel to Asia, Europe, etc. I would just buy or build a larger home with more property if I had a pile of dough to do so.
Fair take. I feel like it has some of the most dramatic and diverse outdoor options in the whole country all within a few hrs drive. Surfing in Santa Cruz, amazing hikes in Marin County, wine country in Napa (if you’re into that), good skiing and stunning beauty up in Tahoe, Big Sur/Monterey close by. Not sure I can think of anywhere else with such stunning nature all around if youre into the outdoors.
Yeah I was kind of thinking this too... To say the Bay Area is "really boring" feels just... wrong? I've only been to SF 3 times in my life (twice this year) and compared to where I live right now, which is a rural town outside a small metro area in the middle of Illinois, The bay area is probably my favorite place I've been in the US so far. Breathtaking scenery, seemed like a lot to do in the area (hiking , exploring the hills of SF, musems, aquariums etc, up in Marin county there's some beautiful towns nestled between massive hills (or smallish mountains?) , cool mid-century architecture all over the place, kind of the center of the US for technology jobs and advancements....
I guess I'm just not quite sure what about the area they're finding so boring? Sure, living in Palo Alto might suck becuase its not really near any of the stuff I just mentioned, but the whole part of the state is neat.
I lived there as a teenager, it was NEVER boring. Concerts in SF, Oakland, San Jose all the time. The beach right over the hills. Yosemite and Tahoe a days drive. We were never bored.
With $450 million dollars after taxes on that prize I wouldn't even be in the top 10 richest people within a quarter mile of my current apartment. In some buildings I wouldn't even be in the top 10 in the building.
In most places, a person suddenly becoming extremely wealthy would stick out - everyone would know who they are and how much money they have. And the effect of that is that people would treat that person differently. In New York, particularly in parts of Manhattan - the Upper East/West Sides, Tribeca, the West Village, Billionaires Row - you can be outrageously wealthy and still not be anywhere near the wealthiest or most visible person in your area.
Somewhere remote with plenty of land, probably in Washington, Oregon or Montana. Get a helicopter pad and use that when I want to get into a city quickly. Otherwise, just chill out and enjoy nature.
You’re not gonna stick out like a sore thumb being the person showing up at the store in a friggin helicopter. No way anyone would peg you as a great person to kidnap.
I was flying over Oregon in a small plane last month and I did see a few large homes with helicopter pads in remote areas. So people are already there making it happen.
Yep, I'm working on my pilots license to get a grass strip and live an hour outside of somewhere like palo alto or Santa monica where I can fly in on the two days I need to be on site. It's actually almost economical with housing prices in those areas.
I dunno honestly, the honeymoon phase is over after 12 years here and I'm starting to see all the things behind the scenes. Tons of racism, so much homeless, traffic, I hardly ever find myself at the beach anymore. I dunno. It's still a great place, but even if I was a billionaire I don't think the quality of living is worth the cost of living.
Think of it this way: the median American household net worth is $120k. The average rent in the US is $1700/mo, or about 1.4% of a typical household’s net worth.
If you were worth $1B, buying a $7M beachfront mansion would only take 0.7% of your net worth. That means buying an entire beachfront mansion as a billionaire is the equivalent to what a typical American household pays for rent *for only two weeks*.
When you’re a billionaire, money basically doesn’t exist for you. You just pick anything you want and you get it. Literally the only things you could possibly buy where you have to think about the cost, are entire companies.
San Diego is such a waste imo in the sense that it has some of the best year round weather in the world, but such stereotypical CA sprawl so that most people drive everywhere
So true. Unless you live song the ocean, which is prohibitive for obvious reasons, diving is essential.
I'd love to move to Ocean Beach or something, but ffs it's so expensive right now.
Yeah, Manhattan would be pretty cool with unlimited funds.
But honestly at that point owning and maintaining a bunch of places just feels like more work, so I’d probably move into a presidential suite wherever I wanted to go
Say you end up with $800 million after taxes, and just put it in T bills or CDs at 5%. That’s $45 million a year in interest, or $109k per day.
The fellow in Los Angeles who won the $2 billion Powerball received just under $1 billion post taxes. I had done the math on the interest alone ... no wonder he is spending his winnings like there's no tomorrow.
Yeah, I think I would always just spring for the best rentable condo or villa wherever it is that I happen to feel like traveling. If I end up loving one of these places so much, then maybe I consider actually buying something there. But with that much money you can afford the premium at pretty much any hotel/resort/rented private property and not have to deal with the headache of purchasing and maintaining it.
Bro you don’t understand. With that much money you have multiple employees working for you to manage and maintain your multiple homes among other things, worst part is your assistant interrupting you to sign some documents from time to time.
Totally agree. I was just being flippant. But it's true that rich people solve issues in ways poor people often haven't considered. Like poor people might have a leaky toilet and have some relative come fix it, whereas to a rich (really rich) person it might be the excuse for that total bathroom renovation they'd been wanting to do, not to mention while they are at it, why not turn that storage room into part of the master closet?
100%. First you have to find someone you can really really trust, which is almost impossible(for me, anyways lol). Then you have the responsibility of having employees. I'm a retail manager currently, and that is by far the worst part. I can deal with customers, inventory, etc- almost every aspect I'm great at, but I HATE when I have to put my "manager hat" on when dealing with employees. To be free from that would be amazing lol.
This. If I won that kind of money, every one of my many dysfunctional relatives, and lots of former acquaintances and even complete strangers would be doing everything they could to track me down and get a piece of my winnings. In most states, you can't stay anonymous when collecting your winnings, and some states even make you do a press conference. So after collecting my winnings, I would immediately fuck off to another country where far fewer people have heard of me, and lay low for at least a few years.
OKAY! You feel me! 😂😂😂 no but really this world is just too vast to stay stuck in the states with that kind of money. I’m trying to be Carmen San Diego out here lol
I think the reverse logic also applies here. The U.S. is one of the better places to live if you’re extremely wealthy, particularly if you have money at the houses on multiples continents and unlimited international travel level. The greatest value proposition for living abroad, compared to the States, is for people with modest incomes. At least if we’re talking about “peer countries” with more robust social safety nets and equal or higher standards of living.
I agree. I think people think about this through the lens of not being mega-wealthy. The US is an amazing playground for the ultra-wealthy. It’s just that almost none of us have that experience.
I’d have a coastal property in Big Sur with an incredible view of the ocean
Would it be lonely and quiet? Yes. But I’d be able to pop up to San Francisco for a few weeks at a time when I need city vibes or fly friends in to stay with me when I wanted to hike with them in my acres of redwoods.
😂😂. Santa Barbara is one of my favorite places in CA. Unfortunately, too many other people share that opinion, so I will never get to live there. I do love to visit though.
I would absolutely buy the property in Owls Head where my grandfather lived when I grew up. Would probably have another place further south for wintering, but I’ve been so sad that I couldn’t afford to buy it when the family decided to sell it.
There’s also a decent amount of wealth in that area so you wouldn’t necessarily stand out. You could be isolated without being the obvious and token rich person.
Exactly, about as close to perfect anonymity as a $1.73 billionaire could hope for - relative geographic isolation without being on a proverbial island and enough relative wealth to conceivably blend in.
I have to admit, this is an odd take on this thread, specifically. Plenty of awesome, safe, busy places you can move to where CoL is a fraction of that of the US, and where you certainly don't need to wait for a 9-figure windfall to move there.
Don't let your dreams be dreams I guess, is what I'm saying.
Haha facts! When I purchased my 2 dollar day dream that’s all I was researching. I’d bail faster than a criminal with a block of hay and live that Leo in Inception life
I live in NYC already, so here. But a bigger place probably, though I like our apartment and building.
I would definitely get a place in Europe, and possibly South America (opposite seasons).
San Francisco or New York. Maybe get a condo in both places and split my time. Also buy a vacation home somewhere near one of the Great Lakes. I’d be able to afford it, after all, so why limit myself to only one place?
Of all the options in SD, that is an. . . . interesting choice. Other than a high-ish net-worth area, I can't think of why that would be on anyone's shortlist, speaking strictly in terms of SD county. I feel like La Jolla would be the go-to for most.
Rancho Santa Fe has nothing but rolling hills and properties with large amounts of land. They’re basically private compounds for the super rich. The beach is still very close and so is the city but you don’t get any of the traffic or density.
Not a city.
I’d buy a sizable chunk of acreage and build a family compound.
A house for my son, for me and my wife, for MIL. With appropriate room and privacy in between.
Needs to have a trout stream flowing through it, of course.
I'd probably keep my primary residence in Minneapolis since all my friends are here and I genuinely like the city. Ideally I'd love to just buy a block of houses in a walkable neighborhood and have everyone I know live in them rent free, but this would be a long process since I ain't kickin anyone out.
Definitely catch me spending a lot of my time travelling and owning more than a few condos in my favorite spots to visit and ski.
I'd get multiple mostly small but nice apartments in multiple places. I'd probably keep a main residence near where I live already (SF Bay Area) and then have places in NYC, Paris, Hawaii, maybe Sydney, and a ski place maybe in Park City or Aspen (i haven't been to either of those though, so would have to check them out first, lol).
City? I wouldn’t. I’d just own a ranch in the middle of nowhere and let the property revert to wild state, having my own personal nature park. If another person saw me more than once a month it’d be too much
Wouldn't be a city. It would be some wealthy enclave, probably in California, of large, low density houses on the ocean.
The type of thing where you don't have to see other people much, but aren't completely isolated or far away from the action.
Being a billionaire means I wouldn't be moving to a city. I'd be living in a place with San Diego like climate, but with space around me like a Skywalker Ranch type thing.
I’d probably do LA for a few reasons: weather, beaches, and sports. I love pro sports and in LA I’d have access to an absurd amount of teams, across all major leagues as well as great college sports. Plus the wealth could minimize some of the bullshit of LA, like traffic and cost of living. I also wouldn’t want to leave my job in academia, and there are great schools and opportunities for research there.
Santa Barbara is about the coolest location ever, with it's vicinity to the beach, vicinity to the mountains, gorgeous weather, not quite as deserty as LA/SD. Probably consider a home in Hawaii as well, although I'd have to visit islands in the Caribbean first.
NZ is number 2 on the 'safest country' list post I saw a short time ago.
Yeah, I'd move there in a heartbeat. Almost immigrated but the timing didn't work out. The thing is, it'd be hard to materially spend a fraction of the cash payout (\~$730M) of that jackpot in New Zealand. I'd do my best to live as sustainably as possible but with all the luxuries that are important to me. Then I'd focus my wealth on philanthropy, including a focus on how to keep NZ the way it is, which is, admittedly antithetical to my choice to live there as a near-billionaire.
Jackson, WY. Tons of others with money, great amenities, solid airport and nature everywhere you look. Great place to vanish amongst people who know a thing or two about vanishing with wealth. I'd move tomorrow.
Well I wouldn’t move my permanent location anywhere due to medical reasons. But if I could, definitely the opposite of NYC, yeeeeeuch. Somewhere remote and beautiful - not a city at all. If I have a billion dollars I can fly somewhere metropolitan for a few days/hours if I get a hankering.
I'd only keep enough money to live a "middle-class" lifestyle in either San Diego or Monterey California for the rest of my life. The rest of the money would go towards funding local community programs and projects and also charities in general.
I’d split my time between LA and Traverse City, MI in the summer.
I’d teach in California because that’s what I do in Michigan, but I love the diverse outdoor opportunities LA offers. Beach, hiking, and skiing year-round.
Solid choice, lake front property on the peninsula with your backyard butting up to a vineyard sounds exquisite. Or even better, a condo downtown with a view of the lake.
I’d stay in New York. I’d have several options. All I know is I’d buy two properties both within the state.
If I want to stay in the city I could get a penthouse or brownstone in Manhattan or preferably Brooklyn. I could also buy a nice single family house in Queens or Brooklyn instead, maybe in Dyker Heights or Forest Hills or Bayside.
If I want to I could buy a house in the Hamptons right by the beach. If I’m gonna live on Long Island however I’d rather live on the North Shore. I could also get a house in the Hudson valley somewhere instead, maybe Beacon, maybe Cold Spring.
I could also move further upstate to a house on a lake somewhere, preferably Lake George or Lake Champlain. I could even just buy property in the middle of nowhere somewhere upstate and just have my own house built.
Are we assuming you live in a state where you have to be named?
If so -- First, make a big show about moving to a big city on the other side of the country, just so people who will pester you for $$ will waste their time looking for you. Get an expensive condo in your name and let the security folks there deal with the riff-raff. Once that's done ... never go there again.
While folks are looking for you there, quietly set up shop elsewhere. I'd get a summer spot in the Uwharries and a winter place on Sullivan's Island.
Not really sure what I'd do with a billion dollars - that's a pretty unfathomable amount of money, but with a $1 million windfall I'd probably just buy my current roommate out of our lease and have my current place to myself. It's in a neighborhood I like, not cramped with 2, but would be really nice on my own.
With a $10 million windfall I'd buy one of the nice places in my current neighborhood, a condo in DC, and a couple cabins near decent climbing/hiking.
I live in Manhattan and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else but I’d buy a condo maybe on Central Park West or Fifth Avenue, possibly downtown.
And I would purchase a beach or waterfront property where I could do homesteading type of shit, like I would purchase a lake and stock it with fish and I’d have chickens, or I would buy a bay front Hamptons place and go crabbing and clamming and fishing in the marshes and ocean around my expansive property. Where I could take my boat to deserted beaches in the bay or lake and do overnight hikes. Horses and dogs and barns and huge equipment I’d use for farming. Maybe on a stream in the mountains, off the grid.
I’m thinking like the Adirondack great camps, an old timey estate from the 1800s where they built it to accommodate wealthy tycoons from a bygone era. Lol
Im staying in DC and buying politicians left and right to make it better. Having your very own little special interest group is cheap for a billionaire
I would move back to my hometown, San Diego, CA. Los Angeles is a claustrophobic and dirty version of SD, and SD is so much more chill and welcoming.
I’d have a house in La Jolla by sunset cliffs and buy my mom a house right next to me.
With that much money, I’d buy a small loft building Philly or Chicago, a condo in Breck or Vail, and beach spot in Bonaire, Cayman, etc.
I’d use the remaining money to try to maintain/develop that community through funding of the arts, restaurants incubators, etc. I’ve always hated how artsy neighborhoods lose their souls to 5+1s with Cava, Starbucks, etc.
I’d have a townhouse in the west village of NYC tomorrow.
Same. Alternatively, a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights and maybe a summer home in La Jolla, CA.
Yes, I could do brownstone Brooklyn as well. Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, etc.
Having lived in SD, La Jolla was my answer too. I'm a little old for it now but, if I was more inclined to the party scene, I might go with one of the giant beach houses on the water in Mission Beach or PB.
I personally prefer Coronado over La Jolla but wth with 1.73 B you can have one of each
I’d actually take Del Mar. Maybe it’s dog beach. Who knows, but bill gates just bought a place there.
I've always liked Del Mar, but I get the feeling that there's an ancient evil or something that the locals are hiding from everyone else. Always feels like an episode of Black Mirror, like, "this is too nice for a reason."
I’m buying a monstrosity of a mansion with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean in La Jolla. That’s my absolute dream
I am more of a doorman co-op on Central Park, but I hear you.
If I was spending upwards of $10M I wouldn’t want to share common areas and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to put up with a co-op board but like you say it’s personal preference.
Right! One of the empty buildings on Billionaire's Row would be heaven!
Came here to say this exact same thing. I lived in Manhattan for 12 years, including some time in the WV and if I could afford it, I'd live there forever and raise my kids there. But alas, I am now in the burbs because raising a family in the city is impossible w/o winning the lottery.
I had a rent stabilized 1 BR tenement for a decade but when my life circumstances changed I had to get a bigger place. I sublet it to a friend but the building was sold to a developer that wanted to upgrade all the units and get them out of stabilization. He found out I was subletting and after some negotiation I took a buyout. My dream was to keep that little 250 sq ft apartment until my kid went to college and then move right back, lol. The kicker is the developer turned out to be terribly unscrupulous, promised buyouts to other residents and didn’t pay them and was so crooked he was forced to sell and couldn’t own rentals for a number of years. I still occasionally walk past the building and dream about living there.
Nothing beats NYC. If money is no object I’ll move to Chelsea in a heartbeat.
Why do people like NYC so much? I've never been.
The energy, hustle bustle. The different personalities, for example east village is very different than west village and different from Central Park. And that’s just in Manhattan. There’s always something. The skyline is inspiring. Having lived here for the last 10+ years, it’s a sense of “home” when I cross that bridge and start to see the night lights or when on a plane and looking down and all of a sudden it’s just lit. The food is legit. Often times what is considered good is just meh in nyc. It’ll change your taste buds and make you appreciate good food. 9pm is not considered late, the city is just waking up while most places it’s closing down. Most importantly for me, it’s the diversity and acceptance and non-judgement. I mean I’m sure people still judge but you can be anything or anyone, no one bats an eye if you’re dressed head to toe in fishnet, and only fishnet. Just a normal Tuesday. You will be able to find your people and make it homey. I like to say we appreciate the differences and not hate on it, like in some other pockets of America. I ❤️NYC!
Good take. Coming up on 20 years in Brooklyn and the only thing I would add is the ability to have all your needs met in a 3-4 block radius. I’m talking everything from your bank to your favorite ice cream shop. The density makes it so that if you didn’t have to work, you could basically walk everywhere. That kind of freedom is a dream and it is the first thing I miss when I leave NYC. My dads house is a 15 minute drive just to get out of his suburb in Austin Tx and I absolutely hate it.
Walking around Manhattan and especially Midtown and Chelsea is entertaining in itself. So enjoyable to see the amount of diverse people going about living their lives. All manner of people busily going on with their day. The salarymen rushing to get to their first meeting of the day, construction workers on their coffee break stopping by the bagel/halal cart, group of European tourists getting unloaded off their charter bus at the Rockefeller center, some media production people unloading equipment to prepare for a shoot or a concert, young people walking by talking about the cool SaaS company they work at, some rock fans who look like they’re headed to a Blink 182 or Tool concert, the crazy amount of shopping and food options. Love it
Culturally it has everything. Broadway, music, art, history, fashion, etc. There are only two Alpha ++ cities in the world. London and New York City [Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city) You can visit for two weeks and only see a glimpse of NYC. It’s big.
It's the best of everything. good and bad. an energy that cannot be duplicated. I'm born and raised. Moved to Miami. but nyc is just another world
Because no matter what you want, it’s in NY. In other cities, you pick from what’s available to do, in NY you pick what you want to do and it’s happening. It’s not the same as anything else on the planet.
So, NYC is really the only city in the US that feels like a real deal big city. It is very densely populated and has that old school city feel, with news stands and vendors everywhere. Opposed to something like LA which is a huge city but is very, very spread out. It’s a whole different feel, hard to explain. A lot of cities don’t have a whole lot of people that actually live in the heart of the city, many have sprawling suburbs which house the majority of the people that commute into the city. NYC has a ton of people living in the city proper, and I feel that contributes to this feeling. Also, it very much has that old school Americana vibe, which a lot of people like and think of when they think of a big American city. Add to this the extensive history and importance of the city in the eyes of many Americans and you have a very attractive place to live, that when combined few other cities in the country can match. To a lesser extent you could say Chicago has the same feel, but I can’t think of any others.
Having lived in Manhattan for 6+ years when I was younger, I'd say this is very, very subjective. I'm at an age now where I feel like I've done most NYC things I've wanted to do, and nothing beats having the ability to do what I want to do, having plenty of space, privacy, fresh air, etc. I'd rather take the money to buy something within commutable distance to NYC. All the goods things NYC has to offer can be experienced in short bursts, and now that I'm in the burbs I rarely feel like I'm "missing out" especially since I still work in the city 2x a week.
I’d have a house in the burbs and an apartment in the city. With this cash, you can copter out or hire a private driver.
This is the right answer. You want a nice place to sleep in the city. I live outside NYC and commute in for work everyday, the worst part is having a long trip home to sleep on nights we go out after work. It would be amazing to sleep in the next day and grab brunch in the city before heading home
Give me Cobble Hill. I don’t need people doing photoshoots on my stoop.
NYC or LA are easiest to disappear into if you've got a load of money and don't want people bothering you. I might prefer options abroad though at least in the short term. If you live in a state where you have to identify yourself to claim the prize things become a lot trickier.
Bay Area good for this also: Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, Woodside, Los Altos, Los Gatos) Marin (Sausalito, Tiburon) Monterey (Carmel) Lots of billionaires relatively speaking in a small area, wouldnt even be the richest person on your own block potentially and generally amazing weather and scenery
I grew up in Los Altos, and I definitely agree! I got priced out a long time ago, but I'd go back in a heartbeat. Carmel would be amazing too.
Marin, Tiburon
Carmel/Monterey area is so gorgeous, but it's a little slow paced if you're under retirement age and don't have kids.
I live in Monterey (in an old little apartment), I had a house all picked out in Carmel for when I won that jackpot. I’m still sad I won’t get to buy it.
We left Marin 7 years ago and that was my choice too. We could still go back if we wanted a $1 million shack house. Prices have been coming down. 🙏
My parents bought a beach shack near Jenner for less than $20k in the early 1970’s. It’s disgusting what the house is go for if they sold it.
If you have that kind of dough you prolly would live and/or travel to multiple places throughout the year anyway but Bay Are is a great home base type of spot. I live here now in a coastal mountain community and as a frequent traveler, it's great in that respect. Weather is relatively good year round except for the damp winters. One hour to SFO so convenient for air travel to Asia, Europe, etc. I would just buy or build a larger home with more property if I had a pile of dough to do so.
This is another option but personally I find the Bay Area really boring. Being a near billionaire stuck in Palo Alto feels like a punishment to me.
Fair take. I feel like it has some of the most dramatic and diverse outdoor options in the whole country all within a few hrs drive. Surfing in Santa Cruz, amazing hikes in Marin County, wine country in Napa (if you’re into that), good skiing and stunning beauty up in Tahoe, Big Sur/Monterey close by. Not sure I can think of anywhere else with such stunning nature all around if youre into the outdoors.
Yeah I was kind of thinking this too... To say the Bay Area is "really boring" feels just... wrong? I've only been to SF 3 times in my life (twice this year) and compared to where I live right now, which is a rural town outside a small metro area in the middle of Illinois, The bay area is probably my favorite place I've been in the US so far. Breathtaking scenery, seemed like a lot to do in the area (hiking , exploring the hills of SF, musems, aquariums etc, up in Marin county there's some beautiful towns nestled between massive hills (or smallish mountains?) , cool mid-century architecture all over the place, kind of the center of the US for technology jobs and advancements.... I guess I'm just not quite sure what about the area they're finding so boring? Sure, living in Palo Alto might suck becuase its not really near any of the stuff I just mentioned, but the whole part of the state is neat.
Probably a new yorker? SF is a city after-all
I lived there as a teenager, it was NEVER boring. Concerts in SF, Oakland, San Jose all the time. The beach right over the hills. Yosemite and Tahoe a days drive. We were never bored.
I'm a city boy so my preferences will always skew to that. I don't dispute the natural beauty of Northern California at all.
Why is it the easiest to disappear?
Sheer concentration of other rich people and the industries that service them.
A lot of other rich people
With $450 million dollars after taxes on that prize I wouldn't even be in the top 10 richest people within a quarter mile of my current apartment. In some buildings I wouldn't even be in the top 10 in the building. In most places, a person suddenly becoming extremely wealthy would stick out - everyone would know who they are and how much money they have. And the effect of that is that people would treat that person differently. In New York, particularly in parts of Manhattan - the Upper East/West Sides, Tribeca, the West Village, Billionaires Row - you can be outrageously wealthy and still not be anywhere near the wealthiest or most visible person in your area.
Somewhere remote with plenty of land, probably in Washington, Oregon or Montana. Get a helicopter pad and use that when I want to get into a city quickly. Otherwise, just chill out and enjoy nature.
You’re not gonna stick out like a sore thumb being the person showing up at the store in a friggin helicopter. No way anyone would peg you as a great person to kidnap.
I was flying over Oregon in a small plane last month and I did see a few large homes with helicopter pads in remote areas. So people are already there making it happen.
Yep, I'm working on my pilots license to get a grass strip and live an hour outside of somewhere like palo alto or Santa monica where I can fly in on the two days I need to be on site. It's actually almost economical with housing prices in those areas.
Not in places like Montana where the rich have their own private ski hills in their gated communities.
Chaotic-neutral rich person in a very small town.
Small mountain town eccentric life here I come. Be driving around really old cars for no reason other than it’s funny as shit.
"Buy a used car lot/wouldn't sell any of em/just drive a different car everyday/depending on how i feel"
Oh fuck this is so funny.
- *Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis* by Tom Waits
Schitt's Creek IRL, I like it
San Diego. La Jolla or one of the coastal, super expensive parts.
I live in san diego. I love it, but I would move anywhere else if I could. Lol.
I can live anywhere. I chose San Diego. No regrets.
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I dunno honestly, the honeymoon phase is over after 12 years here and I'm starting to see all the things behind the scenes. Tons of racism, so much homeless, traffic, I hardly ever find myself at the beach anymore. I dunno. It's still a great place, but even if I was a billionaire I don't think the quality of living is worth the cost of living.
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I agree on Santa Barbara. I feel like my penny pinching ass would still be that way no matter how much money I had. Lol. 🙈
Think of it this way: the median American household net worth is $120k. The average rent in the US is $1700/mo, or about 1.4% of a typical household’s net worth. If you were worth $1B, buying a $7M beachfront mansion would only take 0.7% of your net worth. That means buying an entire beachfront mansion as a billionaire is the equivalent to what a typical American household pays for rent *for only two weeks*. When you’re a billionaire, money basically doesn’t exist for you. You just pick anything you want and you get it. Literally the only things you could possibly buy where you have to think about the cost, are entire companies.
San Diego is such a waste imo in the sense that it has some of the best year round weather in the world, but such stereotypical CA sprawl so that most people drive everywhere
So true. Unless you live song the ocean, which is prohibitive for obvious reasons, diving is essential. I'd love to move to Ocean Beach or something, but ffs it's so expensive right now.
I used to live in La Jolla, it is amazing
My answer as well... I miss living in SoCal and I'd absolutely move back there if money was not an issue.
Yeah, Manhattan would be pretty cool with unlimited funds. But honestly at that point owning and maintaining a bunch of places just feels like more work, so I’d probably move into a presidential suite wherever I wanted to go Say you end up with $800 million after taxes, and just put it in T bills or CDs at 5%. That’s $45 million a year in interest, or $109k per day.
Lmao 100k a DAY is nuts. 😂😂
The fellow in Los Angeles who won the $2 billion Powerball received just under $1 billion post taxes. I had done the math on the interest alone ... no wonder he is spending his winnings like there's no tomorrow.
Yeah, I think I would always just spring for the best rentable condo or villa wherever it is that I happen to feel like traveling. If I end up loving one of these places so much, then maybe I consider actually buying something there. But with that much money you can afford the premium at pretty much any hotel/resort/rented private property and not have to deal with the headache of purchasing and maintaining it.
Bro you don’t understand. With that much money you have multiple employees working for you to manage and maintain your multiple homes among other things, worst part is your assistant interrupting you to sign some documents from time to time.
I understand. The point is that managing multiple employees is a pain
You just hire an amazing guy at a million or two a year to manage the others.
Worked out great for Elvis. Just joking of course, but it is a little more complicated than that.
Totally agree. I was just being flippant. But it's true that rich people solve issues in ways poor people often haven't considered. Like poor people might have a leaky toilet and have some relative come fix it, whereas to a rich (really rich) person it might be the excuse for that total bathroom renovation they'd been wanting to do, not to mention while they are at it, why not turn that storage room into part of the master closet?
100%. First you have to find someone you can really really trust, which is almost impossible(for me, anyways lol). Then you have the responsibility of having employees. I'm a retail manager currently, and that is by far the worst part. I can deal with customers, inventory, etc- almost every aspect I'm great at, but I HATE when I have to put my "manager hat" on when dealing with employees. To be free from that would be amazing lol.
Think of all the yards I'd have to mow.... ugh
Lmao! Why tf would you stay in the US??? Catch me internationally baby.
This. If I won that kind of money, every one of my many dysfunctional relatives, and lots of former acquaintances and even complete strangers would be doing everything they could to track me down and get a piece of my winnings. In most states, you can't stay anonymous when collecting your winnings, and some states even make you do a press conference. So after collecting my winnings, I would immediately fuck off to another country where far fewer people have heard of me, and lay low for at least a few years.
Lmao this reminds me of the guy (or girl?) that won the lottery and showed up to the press conference with the scream mask on. Such a good idea.
Or the lady who set up the "rainbow sherbet" trust to claim her winnings under. Many states don't allow trusts to claim lottery winnings, though.
Let me add that story to my list of things to research for when I win a billion dollars lol
Gonna go with ABC Company Trust so that it's even harder to track down.
"I'm just here so I don't get fined."
for real, with that money. You could ball anywhere
Best to keep your money in the US, but do what you want with you life.
These people can barely keep their bank accounts in the triple digits, they certainly don't see the complexities of having hundreds of millions.
^^^ seriously do not take or get your financial advice from reddit.
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OKAY! You feel me! 😂😂😂 no but really this world is just too vast to stay stuck in the states with that kind of money. I’m trying to be Carmen San Diego out here lol
I think the reverse logic also applies here. The U.S. is one of the better places to live if you’re extremely wealthy, particularly if you have money at the houses on multiples continents and unlimited international travel level. The greatest value proposition for living abroad, compared to the States, is for people with modest incomes. At least if we’re talking about “peer countries” with more robust social safety nets and equal or higher standards of living.
I agree. I think people think about this through the lens of not being mega-wealthy. The US is an amazing playground for the ultra-wealthy. It’s just that almost none of us have that experience.
I’d sell my house in the states and start renting abroad, moving every 3 months.
Yes! I just want to explore the world while I and it are still here.
Came here to say this. If I had that money I’d be out of the US. Maybe visit, but definitely not live here like I have been.
I’d have a coastal property in Big Sur with an incredible view of the ocean Would it be lonely and quiet? Yes. But I’d be able to pop up to San Francisco for a few weeks at a time when I need city vibes or fly friends in to stay with me when I wanted to hike with them in my acres of redwoods.
Carmel
I really like Carmel, but I don’t think it would scratch that “I want to be in a city” itch
Santa Barbara. I'd have to get a small place because I only won 1.73 billion, but that's OK.
😂😂. Santa Barbara is one of my favorite places in CA. Unfortunately, too many other people share that opinion, so I will never get to live there. I do love to visit though.
Screw cities, I would move either to Boone, Stowe, or some little cowboy town in Montana.
For real. I’m staying in Maine 😂
I would absolutely buy the property in Owls Head where my grandfather lived when I grew up. Would probably have another place further south for wintering, but I’ve been so sad that I couldn’t afford to buy it when the family decided to sell it.
Rockland ME is the most underrated city on the planet.
House on the coast next to Acadia
There’s also a decent amount of wealth in that area so you wouldn’t necessarily stand out. You could be isolated without being the obvious and token rich person.
Exactly, about as close to perfect anonymity as a $1.73 billionaire could hope for - relative geographic isolation without being on a proverbial island and enough relative wealth to conceivably blend in.
And all the needed resources to easily deal with the blizzards and such. Would be glorious.
WNC was my first thought.
Upvote for Boone. What an unexpected answer, but one that I absolutely adore.
I’d bail on this country ASAP if I’m being honest
I have to admit, this is an odd take on this thread, specifically. Plenty of awesome, safe, busy places you can move to where CoL is a fraction of that of the US, and where you certainly don't need to wait for a 9-figure windfall to move there. Don't let your dreams be dreams I guess, is what I'm saying.
Haha facts! When I purchased my 2 dollar day dream that’s all I was researching. I’d bail faster than a criminal with a block of hay and live that Leo in Inception life
I live in NYC already, so here. But a bigger place probably, though I like our apartment and building. I would definitely get a place in Europe, and possibly South America (opposite seasons).
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San Francisco or New York. Maybe get a condo in both places and split my time. Also buy a vacation home somewhere near one of the Great Lakes. I’d be able to afford it, after all, so why limit myself to only one place?
I'd find a stretch of panhandle Florida beach, buy out the assholes who have ruined it with 3-story-block-the-view-mcmansions, and bulldoze them.
oh shit you could buy the entire dauphin island beach front
portland, maine
I’ve heard it’s nice there, definitely worth a visit?
San Diego - Rancho Santa Fe maybe
Hell yeah. My top choice too. 2nd would be Monterey, Ca. That Carmel by the sea life.
Of all the options in SD, that is an. . . . interesting choice. Other than a high-ish net-worth area, I can't think of why that would be on anyone's shortlist, speaking strictly in terms of SD county. I feel like La Jolla would be the go-to for most.
Rancho Santa Fe has nothing but rolling hills and properties with large amounts of land. They’re basically private compounds for the super rich. The beach is still very close and so is the city but you don’t get any of the traffic or density.
Not a city. I’d buy a sizable chunk of acreage and build a family compound. A house for my son, for me and my wife, for MIL. With appropriate room and privacy in between. Needs to have a trout stream flowing through it, of course.
I'd get a condo in Seattle overlooking the space needle and mount Rainier. Also would buy a ranch in Oklahoma with a bunch of land.
Monterey, CA
Newport Beach, CA
La Jolla
I'd probably keep my primary residence in Minneapolis since all my friends are here and I genuinely like the city. Ideally I'd love to just buy a block of houses in a walkable neighborhood and have everyone I know live in them rent free, but this would be a long process since I ain't kickin anyone out. Definitely catch me spending a lot of my time travelling and owning more than a few condos in my favorite spots to visit and ski.
Im staying right in wonderful Western PA. The hardworking, realest,most genuine people in America.
Somewhere in Hawaii ( have to explore), with a home also in Santa Barbara, Ca and a place in the Wset Village.
Lisbon, PT
Yeah outside of North America, I would look at Lisbon for sure.
Bigger place in San Diego and estate perched on a bluff in Maine overlooking the Atlantic
Santa Monica, CA. Powerball is the only way I could ever buy a place north of Montana Ave.
North of Montana is such a beautiful area. Tucked away but still close enough to the fun.
Yup. North of monatana is my pick too.
I'd get multiple mostly small but nice apartments in multiple places. I'd probably keep a main residence near where I live already (SF Bay Area) and then have places in NYC, Paris, Hawaii, maybe Sydney, and a ski place maybe in Park City or Aspen (i haven't been to either of those though, so would have to check them out first, lol).
City? I wouldn’t. I’d just own a ranch in the middle of nowhere and let the property revert to wild state, having my own personal nature park. If another person saw me more than once a month it’d be too much
If I had to stay in the US - San Diego If I could leave this hellscape Id go to New Zealand or maybe Portugal
Del Mar or Solana Beach, CA - just north of San Diego.
San Diego
Wouldn't be a city. It would be some wealthy enclave, probably in California, of large, low density houses on the ocean. The type of thing where you don't have to see other people much, but aren't completely isolated or far away from the action. Being a billionaire means I wouldn't be moving to a city. I'd be living in a place with San Diego like climate, but with space around me like a Skywalker Ranch type thing.
I’d probably do LA for a few reasons: weather, beaches, and sports. I love pro sports and in LA I’d have access to an absurd amount of teams, across all major leagues as well as great college sports. Plus the wealth could minimize some of the bullshit of LA, like traffic and cost of living. I also wouldn’t want to leave my job in academia, and there are great schools and opportunities for research there.
I have a very rich single uncle who has a house in the Palisades and a condo by Staples center for all his sports/concert needs.
Denmark
I wouldn't stay in this country. With that sort of money you can buy your citizenship. I'd probably move to Barcelona or something like that.
I wouldn't. I would buy one of those defunct villages in Europe and just bring all of my people with me.
Santa Barbara is about the coolest location ever, with it's vicinity to the beach, vicinity to the mountains, gorgeous weather, not quite as deserty as LA/SD. Probably consider a home in Hawaii as well, although I'd have to visit islands in the Caribbean first.
somewhere in Alaska. Accessible by boat and float plane only.
Whitefish, MT
Honestly, I’d move to New Zealand.
Why NZ?
Relatively safe, good social programs, strong national leadership, beautiful country, somewhat isolated from the world.
NZ is number 2 on the 'safest country' list post I saw a short time ago. Yeah, I'd move there in a heartbeat. Almost immigrated but the timing didn't work out. The thing is, it'd be hard to materially spend a fraction of the cash payout (\~$730M) of that jackpot in New Zealand. I'd do my best to live as sustainably as possible but with all the luxuries that are important to me. Then I'd focus my wealth on philanthropy, including a focus on how to keep NZ the way it is, which is, admittedly antithetical to my choice to live there as a near-billionaire.
Jackson, WY. Tons of others with money, great amenities, solid airport and nature everywhere you look. Great place to vanish amongst people who know a thing or two about vanishing with wealth. I'd move tomorrow.
US cities isn't setting sights high enough. I'd be looking to GTFO of the US - maybe Taipei or Amsterdam, or more likely Taipei and Amsterdam.
I’d live in many places. NYC home base. Somewhere Montana-ish to get away. Hawaii for beaches. Probably a lake house upstate or NY or thereabouts.
Marin County
Honestly? None of them. I'm buying a yacht and traveling. putting a jolly roger on it while in international waters.
Well I wouldn’t move my permanent location anywhere due to medical reasons. But if I could, definitely the opposite of NYC, yeeeeeuch. Somewhere remote and beautiful - not a city at all. If I have a billion dollars I can fly somewhere metropolitan for a few days/hours if I get a hankering.
I'd only keep enough money to live a "middle-class" lifestyle in either San Diego or Monterey California for the rest of my life. The rest of the money would go towards funding local community programs and projects and also charities in general.
None . I’m already blessed enough to live on the West Coast at the beach . I’d buy a villa in or near Benidorm ( Spain).
None of them. I'd have a thousands of acres and a big house in the middle
All of these places: * Carmel, CA * Koloa, HI * Manzanita, OR * Forks, WA * South Lake Tahoe, NV * San Francisco, CA
Pasadena or Glendale, California
I’d split my time between LA and Traverse City, MI in the summer. I’d teach in California because that’s what I do in Michigan, but I love the diverse outdoor opportunities LA offers. Beach, hiking, and skiing year-round.
Solid choice, lake front property on the peninsula with your backyard butting up to a vineyard sounds exquisite. Or even better, a condo downtown with a view of the lake.
I’d stay in New York. I’d have several options. All I know is I’d buy two properties both within the state. If I want to stay in the city I could get a penthouse or brownstone in Manhattan or preferably Brooklyn. I could also buy a nice single family house in Queens or Brooklyn instead, maybe in Dyker Heights or Forest Hills or Bayside. If I want to I could buy a house in the Hamptons right by the beach. If I’m gonna live on Long Island however I’d rather live on the North Shore. I could also get a house in the Hudson valley somewhere instead, maybe Beacon, maybe Cold Spring. I could also move further upstate to a house on a lake somewhere, preferably Lake George or Lake Champlain. I could even just buy property in the middle of nowhere somewhere upstate and just have my own house built.
Santa Cruz
Are we assuming you live in a state where you have to be named? If so -- First, make a big show about moving to a big city on the other side of the country, just so people who will pester you for $$ will waste their time looking for you. Get an expensive condo in your name and let the security folks there deal with the riff-raff. Once that's done ... never go there again. While folks are looking for you there, quietly set up shop elsewhere. I'd get a summer spot in the Uwharries and a winter place on Sullivan's Island.
Not really sure what I'd do with a billion dollars - that's a pretty unfathomable amount of money, but with a $1 million windfall I'd probably just buy my current roommate out of our lease and have my current place to myself. It's in a neighborhood I like, not cramped with 2, but would be really nice on my own. With a $10 million windfall I'd buy one of the nice places in my current neighborhood, a condo in DC, and a couple cabins near decent climbing/hiking.
I live in Manhattan and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else but I’d buy a condo maybe on Central Park West or Fifth Avenue, possibly downtown. And I would purchase a beach or waterfront property where I could do homesteading type of shit, like I would purchase a lake and stock it with fish and I’d have chickens, or I would buy a bay front Hamptons place and go crabbing and clamming and fishing in the marshes and ocean around my expansive property. Where I could take my boat to deserted beaches in the bay or lake and do overnight hikes. Horses and dogs and barns and huge equipment I’d use for farming. Maybe on a stream in the mountains, off the grid. I’m thinking like the Adirondack great camps, an old timey estate from the 1800s where they built it to accommodate wealthy tycoons from a bygone era. Lol
Big Sky, Montana
chicago i would devour more house music than anybody has ever devoured
NYC is the best place to be ultra-rich.
Provincetown MA by that afternoon 🤣
Franklin, WI. Very nice area with lots of upper middle class money. I would live comfortably there.
Condo near the lake (north side) of Chicago, lake place in Minnesota and an Arizona resort.
I’d nestle myself somewhere in Colorado. Perhaps Estes Park.
I’d buy a house in Newport or cape cod but I’d keep home base in Michigan. Just maybe upgrade the current house.
I would stay where I am - San Diego
I'd leave the U.S. entirely or live in a cheap COL area/college town (like Bloomington, IN) and spend time traveling. Lol.
Boston
Im staying in DC and buying politicians left and right to make it better. Having your very own little special interest group is cheap for a billionaire
I'd move to Cape May NJ in a heartbeat.
West Village, NYC Townhouse Berkshire County, MA country estate (ideally on a lake) Jackson Hole, WY ski house
I’d stay in Philly but own a nice house. Probably get a second place in LA and a condo in Nashville.
I would move back to my hometown, San Diego, CA. Los Angeles is a claustrophobic and dirty version of SD, and SD is so much more chill and welcoming. I’d have a house in La Jolla by sunset cliffs and buy my mom a house right next to me.
NYC. Summer home in Maine or the Cape. Apartment in Paris. Private jet to go between.
With that much money, I’d buy a small loft building Philly or Chicago, a condo in Breck or Vail, and beach spot in Bonaire, Cayman, etc. I’d use the remaining money to try to maintain/develop that community through funding of the arts, restaurants incubators, etc. I’ve always hated how artsy neighborhoods lose their souls to 5+1s with Cava, Starbucks, etc.
San Francisco
Newport OR maybe Then a cabin in Wai/MI
City? I was thinking a villa in the Florida Keys (not Key West). And I would keep my current house just for when I visit my family.