Pay for my kids college, donate some, and retire.

Ensure that my parents want for nothing, help my son with his dreams, donate to a few of my local charities, pick a struggling family and help, buy Bruce a new Ford F350 with all the bells and whistles and last but not least establish my catering business and feed as many people as I can.

I would start the leanest, meanest nonprofit organization ever known to man and would roll up my sleeves and spend the rest of my days making the world a better place.

Well it feels like my student loans are about that much...

Move out of Tewksbury as fast as possible

Would make sure my family was taken care of. Donate a few billion to my town, Churches, schools. Etc.

We would invest the after tax winnings to help our kids avoid crushing college loan debt, try to help others less fortunate than we are through charities and the like and I might even help the MBTA close their budget gap!

First, I'd pay of my school loan, travel the world with my son, secure his future, and donate some to cancer research institutes.

I would help my family first and make sure they are taken care of.

Next I would buy the empty Funland lot and build the most buttkickin children's entertainment center of all time.

I hear Chelmsford needs a new fire station. Giving them $7.8 million for that would be least I could do :)

I would take care of my family, start my own business, and INVEST for the furture, and donate money to Cancer research, Autism, Down Syndrom, Fibro, and Alzymers.
I have already started a FB group called "Working on being Healthy" a share and care group for those with ailments. My new passion in life to to make everyone well!

I'd take care of friends and family, many of whom are under mountains of debt. I'd fix up my home for my extended family and then build my dream home. I'd spruce up my business and then I'd invest in Salem. There is such good that could be done in this city with a bit of extra money, I'd love to help the schools, the police & fire departments. Oh, and I'd donate to the Warwick Theater Foundation in Marblehead.

First thing is spending $270 million on taxes.

I'd buy some land for a dog park somewhere.

I'd buy Jim Christian that new Dell computer he's been asking for.

1) I would donate enough money to the school department to ensure that all the teachers got his/her step raises, and enough to give them a 5% raise.

2) I would donate to the town enough money to give ALL TOWN employees a 5% raise.

3) I would donate a good portion to various charities and my church (here in Westford)

4) I would pay off my house, pay for my child's college education, and take a year long trip around the world.

I would buy the Oak Hill property and find a way to build affordable housing on the property, LOL just joking people. After my children and familiy are taken care of I would donate to scholorship funds in Chelmsford, be sure the COSS had more than 500 dollars a year to do their work with, invest in Chelmsford Youth Sports and possibly purchase a certain house on Hemlock Lane and build a 40B property on it. Find atleast a couple acres in Chelmsford and build my dream house and retire in the greatest town in America

You know what the best part about all these answers is? NOT ONE, said they would do something for themselves FIRST, we all put someone or something before ourselves, HOW GREAT IS THAT?

I'd put up a Walmart in the center of Westford, then exploit the "adult entertainment zone" that every Massachusetts town must have (it's true!!). Then move.
Actually, first thing I'd do is hire a security firm to protect my extended family from kidnapping, and change my phone number

I'm surprised nobody wants to build 14,000 Market Baskets (http://westford.patch.com/articles/westford-could-hold-14-032-market-baskets)

I would purchase the state of Masachusetts and then combine the towns of Reading and North Reading so that Patch would make sense.

I would build luxury condos for all the pets in those sad shelter commercials. Then, I'd double the pensions of all the hard working state workers in Mass. With whatever was left, I'd provide a platinum EBT card to the non-working population of Beverly and Salem and let them use it on anything they want - nails, cell phone, champagne, jewerly etc.

Sure, we all have ideas, but in reality I think very few people (including myself) would be able to handle that amount of money being suddenly thrust on them. Maybe you'd like to "try", but really, are you ready to deal with all the "friends" you never knew you had?

I would make sure my direct family would be taken care of first, and pay off all my student loans. I'm still young and I could not see myself retiring at this age, so I'd take my current hobby of home brewing to the next level by starting a brewery or a brew pub in the area.

Actually, the more I think about it......buying an election may be great fun. If one nets about $400Million after tax, one could keep $200 Million, and buy about 10 million votes (at $20 each, the going rate at least for votes on petitions from what I hear from someone in California who would know), even figuring another 20M or so for organizing those who would actually hand out the money, I'd still be $180M ahead and be endlessly entertained at the same time!

I would buy about 50 McDonalds in China

@Bruce.....Of course I am not foolish enough to think just a lawyer and financial advisor are enough. But it's a start. Let's face it....the chance of 1 person winning the whole enchilada is astronomical. I think the idea behind this poll is to have fun dreaming about winning and sharing some ideas of what we would dream to do with the money. You are absolutely right about some of the dangers but let's face it, it is not likely to happen so why put a damper on a fun exchange of wishful thinking. I have enjoyed reading what people would do.

I'd spend it all on lottery tickets.

....and live happily ever after.