Opinion polling firm Emnid asked more than 1,000 Germans what they would do if they won a €10 million in a lottery. The results, published in the Handelsblatt newspaper, were admirable – excluding the one percent who admitted that they would leave their partner.
Nearly all of the people (92 percent) asked said that they would share their winnings with their family. A further 41 percent said they would splash out on their friends and nearly 90 percent said they would donate some to charity.
A seemingly philanthropic bunch, 68 percent said they would use the money to free up some time in which they could volunteer.
And while just 15 percent said they would leave their jobs, most admitted they would like the option to work less. Ninety percent said they would like to spend free time on their hobbies and 84 percent said they would invest it in quality family time.
Improving their everyday lives would be the aim for 34 percent of those asked, while 45 percent said they would put it away for old age, in case they needed to pay for care.
Over 30 percent said they would buy a new house, and 46 percent would use at least part of the imagined €10 million to go on a trip around the world.
The more industrious 17 percent of those questioned said they would embark on a business venture.
But when asked whether they thought a big win would make them happy, the answers varied between age groups. Overall, 62 percent said happiness did not come from wealth. This figure was highest in the 40 – 49 age group.
“Research shows that general happiness is not influenced when someone inherits a large amount of money or wins the lottery,” explained Dr Johannes Ullrich, psychologist at the Goethe University in Frankfurt.
People were often thrilled when they found out, but this happiness tended to subside after about a month, he added.
Just 11 percent said they would tell their colleagues and 32 percent their friends. Most (92 percent) would tell their families.
Regarding a big win, “not wanting to tell friends is less to do with the fear they might want a bit of it, but more that they might change what they think of you,” said Ullrich. Generally people have friends similar to them and a lottery win could change the balance, he added.
The Local/jcw
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