+30 @OddSession3836 In my state, we're allowed to setup a trust to receive the winnings. I'd would definitely do that so that I can remain anonymous. So, it would depend on how long it takes to find lawyers, draw up the trust, and have them receive the winnings.

+28 @Daegog I will do the bare minimum I have decided is needed to claim the ticket first, because my paranoia will make me so unhealthy, I might drop dead before I can cash the ticket. EVERY DAY that goes by means one more day full of POTENTIALLY wild shit that could happen that could keep me from my cash. Accountant, lawyer, financial planner, GO.

+19 @Level-Engineering625 I think the smart thing to do that I read here from Reddit was to wait a while until the hype dies down. In the meantime, do get the lawyers & the financial advisors. But, I’m interested in what other people have to say.

+14 @FreeEntrance476 First I'd spend a few weeks looking for a lawyer, a financial planner, and a CPA to make sure I know everything I need to know about my tax obligations and how to structure gifts, if any, and what I need to do in preparation for receiving the money. I don't think I would want to just have it deposited into my regular checking account. Once I have everything squared away, I will claim the ticket. This will be at least a month after winning, if not longer. This is for something like a multi hundred million dollar win where I would be sharing with a few people and would need to make more preparations. If it's a smaller one like sub 50 million after taxes, I'll skip the lawyer and get a financial planner and CPA for taxes and get a brokerage account set up and claim it within the first two weeks. I wouldn't be sharing that amount and as a single person with no kids, I don't have a complex estate planning situation that would need to be handled before claiming the ticket. I'd just need to know where to put it when I get it.

+13 @rudy-dew I have $30 to my name, I’m claiming immediately.

+12 @Willz093 Thankfully here in the UK we aren’t forced to go public, so I’d be on the phone to the claims line as soon as they opened the next day lol!

+11 @wirebrushfan Mega Millions is 800m for tonight's drawing. Poop on my bosses desk tomorrow morning and find a guy that will sell me a shoebox of cocaine. The honest answer is it will be difficult to find any professionals that have ever dealt with a lottery win before. They are few and far between, and if one claims to be a specialist they are lying. Why would you specialize in what amounts to lightning strikes? Lottery winners are incredibly rare.

+11 @the_arcadian_girl I have bills to pay!!

+11 @Restil The important thing is to have the detailed plan ready before you buy the ticket, so you have guidance from a less temporarily insane version of yourself.