What would you do if you found a bag filled with a Million Dollars?

[BillJ]

One time, when I was little, my mother sent my sister and me in to a Big-V to buy some candy. I remember when I was standing in line, I dropped a quarter, and this old man behind me bent down really quickly and picked it up. And I thought he was going to hand it to me, being nice and all, but nope he put it in his pocket. I was only a little girl, so I was way too afraid to do or say anything, but I remember feeling heartbroken. What a creep, he saw me drop it and he knew it was mine, what on earth would possess a person to do something like that?

Sometimes people are simply dicks.

When my wife was five, she got a Rainbow Brite purse and five dollars for her birthday. She went with her grandparents to the store to spend it, and someone stole the purse. She is still heartbroken over that one.

 

[Mudd]

Who says I found anything?

 

[Galileo7]

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[Jayson1]

Oh dear Jayson, I think if you wanted to ask what people would do with a windfall, you should've made your scenario something with no guilt strings attached, like say:

"What if Warren Buffett showed up at your house and offered you $1 million dollars because he chose you at random, and he has covered also your tax for his gift. What would you do with your new money?"

Me I was mostly going for the question of whether or not one's morals could be corrupted. For example I think if you ask anyone the question, most likely people will say no. That was what everyone thinks they would do in the movie at first. If faced with the situation I wonder though if people would simply be to seduced by what seems like free money to not take it. Complicated by the fact that their is no real ID in the bag to confirm who owned it. I think ID would be enough to appeal to peoples guilt but without i'm not so sure. I'm pretty sure many people would take it but I am also pretty sure it would backfire or people would end up dealing with tons of guilt for taking it.
It's kind of similiar to asking people if they would maintain their morals if society falls apart. Once people run out of food and water then the question gets more dicey and then you find yourself doing "Walking Dead" style of stuff that you never dreamed you would ever do in your life.

Jason

 

[Jayson1]

Sometimes people are simply dicks.

When my wife was five, she got a Rainbow Brite purse and five dollars for her birthday. She went with her grandparents to the store to spend it, and someone stole the purse. She is still heartbroken over that one.

I once had a robber break into our house and all the guy stole was twinkies and loose change on a desk in my room and I think a few clothes. People at Wal Mart also stole loose change while I was getting a oil change. Thing that pissed me off the most was when this guy my sister was dating stole some of my dvd's and went and sold them and also a sega or something.

Jason

 

[WraithDukat]

Thing is, if you hand it in to the Police (which is at least morally the right thing to do), it's supposed to become legally yours after a certain amount of time. But I can't imagine them releasing it, I find it more likely one (or a group) of them pocketing it and saying it was collected.

 

[rahullak]

I would:

1. Pay down all my debt
2. Put maybe 60-70% into investments
3. Put 10-15% into personal tech projects.
4. Spend the rest on upgrading various aspects of my life: a bigger car, a home of my own, annual vacation etc.

I wouldn't quit my day job, just be more aggressive in finding a job that I love doing.

 

[Jayson1]

Thing is, if you hand it in to the Police (which is at least morally the right thing to do), it's supposed to become legally yours after a certain amount of time. But I can't imagine them releasing it, I find it more likely one (or a group) of them pocketing it and saying it was collected.

I recall in the movie"Medium Cool" where I think a taxi driver finds a big bag of money and reports it to the police and they suspect he is a criminal. The man was black and the reason you know they suspected him was because of racism. So turning that money over isn't going to be the same for everyone I suspect and to be honest I think the cops would suspect everyone at first but especially if your not white.

Jason

 

[Roundabout]

As crazy as it might sound, you probably have better odds of winning a million+ bucks with the lottery than finding a bag filled with a million dollars or having someone like Warren Buffett randomly choosing to give you a million (after tax) dollars.

But your scenario is much more interesting.

People at Wal Mart also stole loose change while I was getting a oil change.

It seems like the auto repair shop tries to rob you one way or another. Don't fall for their attempt to sell you services that you don't need. I once brought my car in for an oil change but wound up being conned and had them do an unneeded engine flush. That was money flushed down the toilet.

 

[Kor]

Thing is, if you hand it in to the Police (which is at least morally the right thing to do), it's supposed to become legally yours after a certain amount of time. But I can't imagine them releasing it, I find it more likely one (or a group) of them pocketing it and saying it was collected.

Presumably, they have to keep a paper trail. They could fake the papers, though.

Kor

 

[Leviathan]

I'd turn the bag into the police.

I'd keep the cash of course....

 

[Nyotarules]

Retire

 

[Qonundrum]

I was under the impression that the law in regards to found money was, finders keepers,losers,weepers. That is if their is no way to prove who owned the money like finding it in someones wallet.

Jason

Henceforth I am writing down every serial number of every bill that's in my pocket!

 

[Riker'sMailbox]

I would keep it, but would not spend any of it for a year just to see if anything made the news or to not get the attention of whoever left it there.

I would get a Louis Vuitton Neverfull bag, do a few things to my home, put moeny towards the mortgage, but the bulk would be earmarked for college for my kids.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I was under the impression that the law in regards to found money was, finders keepers,losers,weepers.

Not exactly.

 

[Doom Shepherd]

Me I was mostly going for the question of whether or not one's morals could be corrupted. For example I think if you ask anyone the question, most likely people will say no. That was what everyone thinks they would do in the movie at first. If faced with the situation I wonder though if people would simply be to seduced by what seems like free money to not take it. Complicated by the fact that their is no real ID in the bag to confirm who owned it. I think ID would be enough to appeal to peoples guilt but without i'm not so sure. I'm pretty sure many people would take it but I am also pretty sure it would backfire or people would end up dealing with tons of guilt for taking it.
It's kind of similiar to asking people if they would maintain their morals if society falls apart. Once people run out of food and water then the question gets more dicey and then you find yourself doing "Walking Dead" style of stuff that you never dreamed you would ever do in your life.
Jason

I absolutely can be corrupted/bought. That's not really the question, though.
The question is... for what? Corruption is a situational and risk-based calculation. What exactly do I gain? What do I stand to lose if I'm found out? Do the rewards successfully overwhelm the risks?
Would I kill your enemy for $50,000, payable after the deed? Probably not.
Would I kill your enemy for $5,000,000, half in advance? And a year to plan? What's his name and where does he live?

 

[Jayson1]

I absolutely can be corrupted/bought. That's not really the question, though.
The question is... for what? Corruption is a situational and risk-based calculation. What exactly do I gain? What do I stand to lose if I'm found out? Do the rewards successfully overwhelm the risks?
Would I kill your enemy for $50,000, payable after the deed? Probably not.
Would I kill your enemy for $5,000,000, half in advance? And a year to plan? What's his name and where does he live?

The risk would be prison time but not sure about how long one would go to jail for that. The benefit is you could be set for life as long as you take a somewhat conservative aproach to how you spend the money. Granted I could also see people just going all "Brewster's Million" and spending it so fast that nobody would be able to know if you ever had it to begin with. I know people keep things like receipts but you could also by things under the table and then turn around and sell those things for clean money that might not be marked. Granted if you do that I think that might be money laundering so if that is the case it means you have basically embraced the idea of being a crook.

Jason

 

[PureCrimson]

Keep it, save what I don't immediately need; fix/newer car, nicer house, and keep my eyes out for ways to expand it, business opportunities, investments, etc, then I'd be set.

 

[urbandefault]

The fantasy, played out on TV in the 50s.

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[Avro Arrow]

I absolutely can be corrupted/bought. That's not really the question, though.
The question is... for what? Corruption is a situational and risk-based calculation. What exactly do I gain? What do I stand to lose if I'm found out? Do the rewards successfully overwhelm the risks?
Would I kill your enemy for $50,000, payable after the deed? Probably not.
Would I kill your enemy for $5,000,000, half in advance? And a year to plan? What's his name and where does he live?

Reminds me of a uni prof I had. He told us that he wasn't strictly against being bribed for higher grades. But he said that since it would basically end his career if found out, the amount had to be high enough to support him for the rest of his natural life.... and that he had very expensive tastes, so he was pretty sure none of us could afford it!