With a jackpot over $350 million, Mega Million and Poweball players are envisioning how their lives could change with a winning ticket. (WTOP\/Jack Moore) <\/p>\n
WASHINGTON With the jackpots for Mega Millions and Powerball each topping $350 million for the first time this week, people in and around the nations capital are willing to fantasize about life as a multimillionaire. <\/p>\n
When you have that kind of money, you can do whatever you want, said Michael Kay, who envisions a ZIP code change if he and his wife hit it big. <\/p>\n
We have a house in Gaithersburg, but wed probably buy a house in Potomac, he said. We would vacation and send our kid to a better school. <\/p>\n
The Mega Millions drawing tonight has an estimated jackpot of $393 million, while Saturdays Powerball prize will be approximately $356 million. <\/p>\n
The prizes are based on winners taking an annuity with the prize being paid out over 29 years. For an upfront cash prize, the jackpot would drop to $238 millionfor Mega Millions and $224 million for Powerball. <\/p>\n
Thats a lot of money, actually, understated Tedessa, who is originally from Ethiopia. <\/p>\n
If he won, he says he would build and runa learning center to help children develop knowledge about technology and science. <\/p>\n
He says he wouldnt buy a fancy car. <\/p>\n
Im quite simple, really, I dont think Id need that, he said. Perhaps a donkey, or a horse. But the center would have a bus. <\/p>\n
A librarian from Gaithersburg (and yes, her name is Marian) said she would invest most of her winnings, help her children financially and buy a new town house. <\/p>\n
Daniela Zeppos, a Montgomery County teacher, said she would travel the world and help students join her. <\/p>\n
As for winning strategies, Michael Kay said he bought his ticket using a tidbit he learned in college. <\/p>\n
I took a statistics course, and the professor said use random numbers, Kay said. That will give you a better chance of winning, as opposed to picking your own numbers every single time. <\/p>\n
Ozzie, an orthodontist, said she would pay off her student loan. <\/p>\n
Mike Waters wife said shed want to buy a beach house. He said hed travel the world and leave the beach house to his wife. <\/p>\n
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$700M in jackpots spur dreams of Potomac mansion, world travel, donkey - WTOP<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With a jackpot over $350 million, Mega Million and Poweball players are envisioning how their lives could change with a winning ticket. Continue reading