Invest well so I could start a foundation for cats. Give scholarships and grants for the study of feline diseases such as FIP, FLV, FIV. All the diseases that take our little friends way too early. It is so sad to see the pain in CTB forum, and the despair of loosing our furkids way to early.
No cost spay and neuters set up all across the country, and further in time. Buy huge pieces of land, and set up homes for people to oversee homeless cat sanctuaries. No cat would be refused. Onsite vet care, and a guaranteed home for the rest of its life. Covered outdoor areas, trees, shade and lots of love. No call for help would go unanswered.
Education, education, education. Start children when they are barley out of the cradle on how to treat animals. Make them learn kindness, like they learn their ABC's.
Irradicate cruelness and ignorance.
A big order, I know. But that is my ultimate dream. It's for the cats.
I'd put about 3/4 of it in the bank and just watch it grow for a while. With what's left, I'd buy a new car, adopt another cat, and spread the rest out to my relatives and various shelters. After a few years of my bank account gaining interest, I'd move out of the city and into the country, adopt a cougar, and enjoy life.
If it were a huge winning, I would pay off the debt of my friends and family, put my nieces/nephews through college, quit my job, buy a huge RV and travel all over the country. The big RV is so that I can bring the critters with me.
Lose half of it to taxes and fees, which would even drop a million down pretty quickly. Pay off debts, take care of my mom (financially), and move out of this state.
I would first pay off all debt so that I can start off financialy free so to speak. I would then get a new, reasonably priced vehicle that's big enough to comfortably transport my dogs to and from training.
I would love to build a reasonably priced farm house on the outskirts of the city (dream kitchen and salt water aquarium included). Of course I would love to have a lot of land- so that would mean more Australian Shepherd puppies for my existing dogs, Macy and Ranger to help me train for therapy work & to supervise
I would also plan to build a small house on that property so that my mom has her own private home and is taken care of as she ages.
I would then start up my dream flower shop that I've been aching for since I graduated design school 7 years ago! (right now it's my retirement plan though lol ). I wouldn't be happy stuck at home all of the time, I would want to work, reguardless of $$.
Then, if my land was big enough, I would love to start a giraffe santuary (with proper permits and such) and also have enough land for a TNR feral kitty colony. Told you guys I was obsessed with giraffes!
I would love to take a trip with Jack to Venice (that's on my "bucket list") I would also love to visit Claude Monet's garden as well as to pay my respects to the concentration camp sites in Europe where some of my family members passed.
After that I would make sure that my nieces/nephews have $$ lined up for their education when they graduate- I want to see all of them have bright futures.
I would also love to find some women that are in the process of leaving abusive relationships and to set them up in a new, safe place to live with their bills met so that they can persue an education and better their lives away from violence. (I've know what it's like to leave an absuive situation like that and how scarry it can be to start from scratch- I would love to help women in those situations better their lives- honestly, I will never forget the kindness that some people showed me during the tough time I went through- lottery or not, I hope to help women in need some day in that same manner.
I would pay off my house and my Mustang. Then pay off my parents' house and my in-law's house. It won't leave my parents debt free, but I refuse to pay off their credit card bills because they'll just see it as an opportunity to rack them up again.
I would build the large shop my husband wants - half for him and cars, the other half converted into a "studio" for pole, hoop, and silks for myself and friends.
I would buy a house in New Hampshire for a second home.
Donate a decent amount to each shelter in the area.
Put the rest away in a high interest savings account.
I'd start a shelter for cats and dogs, staffed by paid staff (I have enough of my own litterboxes to clean!). Then, I may buy a slightly larger house, with more land (so I can grow my own food). Then, I'd pay off any debt we had, buy a new, practical car (mine's 12 years old!), and invest the rest safely (hah-hah to THAT nowadays, what with everyone's investments taking big hits!).
Oh, I'd then buy myself a fanatastic ruby, 14k gold and diamond necklace, earrings, and bracelet set. I have nowhere to wear them, but dang it, I'd just wear them while cleaning the house naked!